Tales from the Cretaceous
by TamieH
Summary: Stories from Abby & Connor's time in the Cretaceous. Their relationship blooms and grows amid dinosaur danger.  Started as a series of one shots and grew!  Chapter 30 added to explain for those who didn't read while it was being written. Please R&R.
1. The Second Day

Author's Note: This one was suggested by GregsMadHatter and is set right at the beginning of Connor and Abby's time in the Cretaceous. If you enjoy this story, please leave a comment.

The Second Day

The early morning light shone down through the pines, warming the damp earth and sending wisps of fog drifting across the ground. The trees were less dense here, giving way to more open land. In the distance, huge slabs of rock jutted toward the sky. Connor and Abby moved slowly through the area searching for any sign of Danny Quinn. Unfortunately, it had rained last night wiping away whatever tracks might have existed.

Connor's ankle throbbed with every step. It felt like a second heartbeat in his boot. His mind and body had gone to autopilot as a silent mantra repeated in his head: take a step, feel the pain, take a step, feel the pain. He kept a firm grip on his walking stick and tried to remember not to clamp his fingers into the arm of the petite, blonde woman currently keeping him on his feet.

Abby braced him with her shoulder and with one arm around his waist. The fact that he wasn't complaining or whining worried her. There were no jokes or banter either. She knew he was in pain by the rapid way he was breathing and the occasional involuntary wince as he put weight on his bad ankle. Twice, he had gripped her hard, but almost immediately loosened his hold to keep from hurting her.

When she noticed his clenched jaw and the sheen of sweat on his forehead, she couldn't take seeing him in pain anymore, so she said, "Connor, please, can we stop. I'm tired."

A weak, breathless, "O.K." was the only reply she got.

"Look there's no point in going on. We need to find a place to wait for Danny. He'll be searching for us," she reasoned.

Connor leaned against a tree with his eyes closed as he fought against the pain, "You're right. It makes sense to stay in one place for a while and give my ankle a chance to heal a bit."

"Good. So after I've rested, we can walk over toward the rock formations. Maybe we can find a cave or something to stay in."

Finding shelter took much longer than Abby hoped. The rock formations were much further away than they appeared and they had to stop and hide when several parasaurolophus passed by.

She decided that finding a suitable cavern would have to wait. She directed Connor toward the first opening in the rocks that was large enough for them. Abby got him settled against the wall and bent to check his ankle. She carefully unzipped his boot and slowly pulled it off as he hissed in pain.

"It looks awful," she said, "I'm going to have to do something to get the swelling down." She stripped off her jacket and sweater, and turned her back to pull off her tank top.

"Abby, what are you doing?" Connor asked in a worried voice.

"I'm taking off my shirt, what does it look like I'm doing?"

"Taking off your shirt… but why?" he asked as she wiggled back into her sweater and jacket.

"I'm going to soak this in water and wrap it around your ankle," she said showing him the top she had just removed.

"Oh, O.K.," he replied. When the cold, wet material touched his ankle, he jerked and yelped, then sighed in relief. "Feels good."

Abby unpacked the medical kit and handed him 3 tablets. "Swallow those," she commanded. "They'll help with the pain and take the swelling down."

Connor did as he was told while Abby gently elevated his leg onto their backpacks.

She unfolded a blanket and moved to sit very close beside him. "We are going to need to huddle together for warmth."

"Didn't I try that line on you once?" he asked with a weary smirk.

"Connor. This is serious. Let me get up against you. O.K., now put your arm around me," she instructed.

"Really?" he asked in a stunned voice.

"Yes, really." Now help me pull the blanket over both of us. "Is this all right, Connor? I'm not hurting you, am I?"

"Um, no. You're warm and soft. It's very nice," he said with a smile, "but my ankle really hurts."

"The pain pills should help soon. Try to go to sleep."

"Thank you, Abby," he murmured as he closed his eyes. As he dropped into unconsciousness, Abby heard him mumble, "So warm… lovely…"

Abby wondered if Connor was dreaming about the beach she had described to him yesterday or if he was referring to something else.

She got very little sleep during the night. She woke him after five hours to give him more pills, and then settled in next to him again. She decided she would leave in the morning to scout the area and find a better place for them to stay.

At first light, she carefully moved away from Connor then tucked the blanket around him. She took the opportunity to study his face. Locks of dark hair fell across his forehead. His eyelashes were surprisingly long and thick. She had never noticed before because when he was awake, she was always drawn to the expression in his dark brown eyes. Her gaze moved on to his nose, which was rather nice and then on to his mouth. Oh, his mouth! She felt a jolt in her stomach as she remembered how kissing those lips felt; they were velvet soft, yet warm and so perfect against her own lips. Abby turned to go, but on impulse, placed a quick kiss just to the side of his mouth. The corners of his lips quirked up very slightly before relaxing back into sleep.

Connor woke up some time later to find himself alone. Abby probably just stepped outside, he thought. After ten minutes of worrying, he decided to go look for her. He checked his ankle and was happy to see the swelling was down a lot. He wrapped the area in a tension bandage, but couldn't get his boot back on, so he grabbed his walking stick and hopped outside. Abby was nowhere in sight.

He ran his hand through his hair as dozens of horrifying scenarios went through his mind. They all boiled down to the same conclusions; she had gotten eaten, she had gotten lost, or she was hurt. He was about to go in search of her, when she walked into view.

Abby smiled when she saw Connor waiting for her. Her smile faltered as he limped up to her and grabbed her arm.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he yelled. "I thought you had gotten lost, maybe hurt," he shouted while giving her arm a small jerk.

Abby's temper kicked in and she was about to demand he let go when she looked up into his eyes. She froze at the look on his face. She could deal with the anger she saw, but it was the look of terrified anguish in his eyes that made her pause. She suddenly wanted to wrap her arms around him and never let go.

He gave her a hurt look as he asked, "How would you feel if you woke up this morning and I was gone?"

Abby thought about it and felt her heart pound in response to the thought of waking up alone with no explanation. "Connor, I'm so sorry. I believed I could get back before you woke up. I didn't think. I won't do it again," she promised.

"Well, you better not. I don't want you out of my sight from now on," he demanded. Then he pulled her to him for a quick hug. "You scared me."

"I really am sorry," she said.

"Let's just forget it," he suggested. "Sorry for yelling," he apologized, feeling very relieved that she was safe.

"That's all right. I would have done the same," she admitted. "Would you like to see the cave I found for us?" she asked with a small smile.

"O.K.," he said, good-naturedly. "Now if you could find a couple of burgers and some chips, we'd be in fine shape," he joked as she gathered up their packs.

"I'll put that on my to-do list," she answered cheekily, as she moved to take her place beside him.

"Seriously, Abby, I don't think we'll need the cave for long. Danny will show up by tomorrow for sure," Connor said.

"Of course he will," she replied in an upbeat tone, "We'll be fine."

The not too distant sounds of creatures screeching made them quicken their pace.

Abby turned her face away from Connor to glance behind them with a worried frown as she repeated softly, "We'll be fine."


	2. Day Eight

Author's note: O.K., so this story now fits in as the second story in the series on a timeline. I hope jumping back and forth isn't driving everyone too crazy. I just write them as they come to me. I'll try to keep this going through the summer and fall, but no promises.

Day Eight

Abby sat near the fire staring into the flames. She was tired, dirty and scared. She and Connor had been stuck in the Cretaceous for eight days. Eight long, horrible days since they had last seen Danny Quinn. She remembered the look on Danny's face as he raced off to follow Helen, leaving her to guard an unconscious Connor. "He's not coming back, is he?" she asked Connor.

Connor was digging through both their backpacks cataloging everything. He looked up when Abby spoke. "We don't know that for sure. He might be out there right now waiting for morning to look for us," he said calmly.

"Or he might have gone through the second anomaly and gotten trapped or killed," she answered sadly.

"Don't think like that. I'm sure Danny is still alive, but until he finds us or we find him, we have to handle things on our own."

"I wish Stephen was here," she said quietly. "He'd have his big hunting rifle and he'd know what to do."

Connor flinched at the sound of Stephen's name. A combination of sadness, jealousy and regret rolled through him as he thought of his dead friend. Stephen had been the type of man Abby wanted and he had been like an older brother to Connor. "Yeah, Stephen would have us fixed up in no time at all. He'd kill something for dinner, dig a latrine and maybe build a summer cottage in his spare time," he said. He'd meant it as a joking tribute to Stephen's unending skills, but his words came out with a sarcastic bite.

Abby didn't notice his tone. She was too caught up in her own worries. "Connor, I don't know if I can handle this. I can deal with all kinds of creatures and danger every day at the ARC, but I'm not at the ARC. This isn't my world. I don't know who I am here. What if I'm useless?"

Connor studied Abby closely. She looked scared and unsure. Not at all like her normal self. "Well, if you're planning on being useless, I'll just have to pick up the slack," he said with a small smile.

"Connor, I'm not joking," she said angrily.

"Abby, I wouldn't be alive without you. The raptors would have killed me," he reminded her.

"You saved yourself," she shot back.

"Oh, for crying out loud. You took care of me when I thought my ankle was broken and you found this cave," he pointed out.

She turned away from him with a frustrated snarl, "Fine. I'm not useless. But I miss Rex, Sid and Nancy, my brother Jack and even Lester. I miss having a hot shower and a nice cup of tea. I miss my bed." She was close to yelling as she continued, "I need a change of clothes and my punching bag. I feel like I'm going to explode," she admitted. "I want to hit something."

"I'm not volunteering for that," he replied dryly.

Abby gave a small, somewhat hysterical laugh, before she stood and walked toward the cave entrance to stare out into the darkness.

Connor watched her go and wished he could do something, anything to make her feel normal. He knew he was handling their situation better than Abby. He viewed it as a mental exercise, sort of like solving a puzzle, to find the ways to keep them alive. He was in his zone, cataloging materials, listing problems and finding solutions.

He realized Abby needed a solution to her anger. Quickly an idea came to him. He removed everything from their packs and placed it along the wall of the cave to inventory. He grabbed the empty packs, stuffed one inside the other, then he removed both his jackets and stuffed those inside. He topped it off with their blankets and zipped up the overly-full backpack.

Abby turned to watch as he limped toward her. He slipped the straps of the backpack over his arms but kept it in front of his chest and stomach.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Making you a punching bag," he said as he gestured at himself with both hands.

Abby's face softened as she realized what he meant to do. She stepped in front of him and gently touched the pack over his chest. "I thought you weren't going to volunteer."

"Well, I don't want you to punch me, but with this on, it might work."

"Thanks, Connor, but there is no way I could punch you in the chest even with the padding on."

"Oh, come on! You punched me in the mouth during your fight with Caroline," he argued.

"That was an accident," she replied primly.

"Come on, Abby, just one hit. You'll feel better," he cajoled.

"You aren't completely healed yet. I could knock you off your feet without meaning to and hurt your ankle again," she argued.

Connor saw the sparkle in her eyes and knew she was starting to come around. "Abigail Sarah Maitland… hit me," he said earnestly.

Abby looked him in the eye and came to a decision. She let out a tremendous yell, drew back her arm and punched. She pulled back at the last instant and lightly tapped the backpack over Connor's chest.

When Abby yelled, Connor closed both eyes and the color drained from his face, but he stood still, braced for the hit. When he only felt a gentle nudge, he opened one eye and then the other.

Abby grinned at him happily, "Thanks, I feel much better now."

He looked a bit shaken as he dropped the backpack on the cavern floor, but he gave her a small smile, "Glad I could help," he said. "Remind me never to make you truly angry. You're scary," he said in mock fear.

When she looked at him in disbelief, he reached for her hand and placed her palm flat against his chest, so she could feel his racing heart.

When Abby didn't remove her hand right away, his heart began to pound for a totally different reason.

"Wow, your heart is beating fast," she said as she glanced up at his face.

"See. Terrified," he said with a grin. He quickly stepped away from her, looking everywhere but into her eyes. He meant what he said. He was terrified of Abby. Terrified she would find out how much he loved her and respond with annoyance or worse, amusement.

Abby watched him go back to work, her thoughts focused on the fact that he was a wonderful man. He had changed in the past week. Or maybe he had changed months ago and she hadn't noticed. He was more confident, a bit more dominant and if possible, even more protective of her than he had been before. Abby caught herself thinking she found it sexy. She found him sexy.

Suddenly, it was Abby's heart that started to race as she finally came to terms with her feelings. _I'm in love with him_, she thought in astonishment. _Fantastic. Now I'm in love and he just wants to be friends_. "Our timing really sucks," she grumbled to herself.

She dropped to her knees to pull their blankets out of the pack. She spread them out side by side and stretched out on hers. "It's late," she said softly. "Stop working and get some rest."

Connor put down the medical kit he was looking through and walked to his blanket. He tried to get comfortable, flat on his back with his hands behind his head.

Abby turned to look into his eyes, then glanced away, "Connor… can I rest my head on your chest?"

There was a long pause before Abby heard him say, "Um, sure. I'd rather be your pillow than your punching bag any day," he replied happily.

She moved to rest her head against his chest and was secretly thrilled when Connor gently placed an arm around her.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yes, thanks. Good night, Connor."

"Night, Abby."

As the silence of the night settled in around them, they put their fears and worry aside to drift off to sleep; their unspoken love for each other getting stronger by the hour.


	3. Firelight Memories

Author's note: First, a big thank you to: jasperlove, KassandraofTroy, peppy87, iEvenstarEstel, Aquata, Reni7681 and GregsMadhatter for the wonderful reviews. You gave me the energy to keep going. This is my second short story in this series. C&A learn more about each other. I have two more planned after this, which will have more action, so keep watching for Learning to Hunt and Life and Death. If anyone has ideas for scenes you would like to see, let me know.

Firelight Memories

The sun dropped below the horizon, leaving a pink glow on the snow capped mountains in the distance. Connor and Abby had survived another day.

The entrance of the cave that served as their home contained a carefully-tended fire. They sat nearby, each working on separate projects.

Connor was trying to figure out a way to mend the knee of his jeans. He thought one of his leather jacket sleeves could be used for that. It would only take a small part of the sleeve to make a patch and the rest could be saved for other things. Maybe a wrist guard, he thought.

Abby was carefully unraveling a part of a sweater. She planned to braid several strands of yarn together to use as fishing line. While she worked, Connor took the opportunity to study her face in the light of the fire. All traces of makeup were gone. Freckles had appeared on the bridge of her nose and along her cheeks from the daily sun exposure. Her lips were light pink and her hair had grown long enough to braid into little sections. She looked young and more beautiful than ever.

When she set her work aside and stared into the flickering light of the fire, Connor tried to draw her into a conversation, "What are you thinking?"

She looked at him and smiled sadly, "I was thinking about Jack; about when we were kids."

"Will you tell me about it?" he asked gently.

Abby stayed quiet for a long time. Connor was just about to change the subject when she started to speak. "I had just gotten an old, used bike. I wanted a bike so bad and I finally had one. I rode it back and forth while Jack watched. It was so much fun to feel the wind in my face as I pedaled fast. Of course, Jack wanted to learn to ride. He was too young, but he kept begging, so I gave in. I helped him get on the bike. His feet barely reached the pedals. I ran beside him, holding on to the bike until he got his balance. Then I let go. He went for about 50 meters, picking up speed before he crashed hard. He scrapped his knee and both elbows and he cried so much. There was blood on his shoes and shirt. I felt so terrible. It was my fault that he got hurt. I was older. It was my job to take care of him. I got him inside and cleaned all his cuts and wiped his tears." Abby's voice faltered, "Jack look at me in such a serious way that I thought he must be angry. I deserved his anger. After all, I should have known better than to put him on that bike. So I got all ready for him to yell at me, but instead, he smiled and told me I was the best sister in the world for letting him ride the bike." Abby dropped her face into her hands and sobbed. "He was sitting there all banged up and bloody and acting like I was wonderful. I know I was awful. I didn't keep him safe. I tried to take care of him, but it was never enough. He needed a real Mum." She looked up at Connor, the need for comfort clear in her eyes, "Who will be there for him now?"

Connor scooted over to Abby's side and wrapped his arms around her. He thought of the girl she had been, trying to be both sister and mum to Jack and he felt so proud of her. "He'll be O.K. You did a good job raising him. He knows you love him."

She shook her head in agreement, hoping he was right, but it still didn't ease the ache in her chest or the lump in her throat. Abby felt like a lost child. She knew instinctively Connor could help her find her way. Without another thought, she climbed right into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. She buried her face in his shoulder and cried into his shirt.

Connor held her tight and felt like crying himself. He knew his tough, little Abby had a very soft heart. He wondered what the rest of her childhood had been like. Then he thought about his own childhood and his Mum. Had the government even told his Mum he was missing? He pushed the thought aside. Abby needed him.

He rocked her gently as he began to speak, "When I was really little, my Mum let me see Star Wars. I loved Han Solo and his smuggling ship. I asked for the ship as a Christmas gift, but money was really tight.

Abby had stopped crying and was listening closely, "did you get it?" she asked.

"Well, sort of," laughed Connor, "my Mum got some big cardboard boxes and did her best to make me a ship. She must have worked for days building the thing. It was big and it looked even bigger next to our tiny Christmas tree. She used markers to write in bold letters on the side, Connor's Millennium Falcon. It was the best Christmas I ever had. I played in that thing until it fell completely apart. I had lots of adventures in space with an old, stuffed bear of mine that I pretended was a Wookie." Connor grinned, more than a little embarrassed about his bear.

Abby moved off his lap to sit beside him, still resting her head on his shoulder. She wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled up at him, "I bet you were a cute, little boy. When we get back home, I'm going to need to see pictures," she said.

"I'll show you mine, if you show me yours," he said innocently.

Abby roared with laughter. When he looked at her blankly, not catching the double meaning of his words, she blushed and stared at him expectantly.

Connor looked confused as he replayed the conversation in his head and then his face went red, "I meant the pictures," he stammered.

Abby took his hand and linked her fingers with his. As they sat comfortably, side by side, she smiled and said gently, "I know."

****

Comments? Please review and watch for my next two tales.


	4. Learning to Hunt

Author's Note: Again, **many thanks** to those who are leaving comments. I'm having great fun working on these. Please note that the "Chapters" are really stand alone stories and I haven't published them in chronological order. References to Connor's wrist guard and the status of the spears give you an idea of where the stories fall on a time line. My next one, Life and Death will be up in a few days (hopefully).

Learning to Hunt

Connor was so tired. He had worked non-stop from before sunrise until well after dark, but it had been worth it. The newly completed spear felt good in his hand. He placed it next to the one he had made for Abby. Tomorrow they would learn to use them.

He stretched and ran his hands over his face. Then he looked at Abby already curled up on her blanket.

Her personality was so strong that he often forgot how delicate she was. His eyes tracked from the top of her head down to the bottom of her feet. Intellectually he knew she could win a fight with a man twice her size but his heart insisted she was tiny, fragile and in need of a protector.

More and more, when he looked at her, the thought popped into his head that he loved her. He wanted to say those words, but he argued with himself that it wouldn't be fair. They were stuck with each other and had to rely on one another. He knew that once his feelings were out in the open, it would be unbearable if she didn't feel the same.

Connor stretched out on the blanket next to her. She moved to snuggle into his side and put her head on his chest. He brought his arm around her, holding her gently. "Why aren't you asleep?" he asked.

"I don't seem to be able to get to sleep without you keeping me warm," she replied softly.

He was too tired to think of a response to that. Instead he said, "Abby, tell me about the beach again."

"All right. We're on a beautiful beach. The sand is pure white and soft under our feet, the water is warm and the breeze carries the smell of tropical flowers," she began in a soothing voice.

In her imagination she could see herself walking along the beach with Connor; playing in the ocean waves. She could also see Connor pulling her into an embrace and kissing her.

She forced her thoughts away from kissing to continue, "we find a shady spot where we can watch the waves…" Her voice trailed off when she realized Connor had fallen asleep. Sighing, she let the steady rhythm of his heart soothe her as she closed her eyes.

After what seemed like only a few minutes, she felt Connor nudged her awake, "Abby, time to get up."

She rolled onto her back and managed to open one eye, "You used to be impossible to get out of bed. Now you're always awake before me," she said a bit grumpily.

"Annoying, isn't it?" he said as he flashed a grin at her. Taking her hands, he pulled her up. "Let's go try out these spears."

Connor held her hand as he led her past the trail to the waterfall and on toward the stream. The larger predators liked to gather at the deeper pool near the waterfall while the smaller creatures came to the stream to drink. It was a perfect place to hunt. He marked off an area in the soft ground with the heel of his boot. "O.K., let's try to hit this area with the spears while running."

"You first," she said "but let me get well out of the way before you try. Remember what happened when I gave you a tranquilizer gun," she laughed.

He smiled back at her, remembering how he had accidentally shot her with a dart. "You're never going to let me forget that are you?"

"Nope."

He jogged away before turning to run toward the area he had marked. He thrust the spear into the ground but missed the section he was aiming for. It took several more tries, with Abby making totally unhelpful suggestions the whole time, before he finally hit the mark. Abby clapped her hands and cheered when he succeeded.

It was her turn and she expected to hit the mark on her first try, but she was wrong. It took her several attempts before she got the hang of it.

When she hit the mark twice in a row, Connor said, "Good job."

Abby raised her hand for a high five and said "Good job, to you too."

"Now let's see if we can manage to kill one or two of the Hesperonychus," he said, referring to the herd of housecat-sized lizards that roamed the area.

Abby wasn't happy about hunting, but she knew she had no choice. Protein would be vital to their survival.

They both found spots in the greenery near the water's edge to wait. It seemed to take hours before a small group of lizards approached. Connor stayed still until they were between him and the water before jumping out and running at them. Abby cut them off from the side as the herd began to scatter. Connor managed to spear one before he lost his footing on the bank of the creek and landed with a splash in the middle of the stream.

Abby heard him hit the water, but was too busy to look. The lizard she was chasing swerved just as she threw her spear. Abby stopped to catch her breath, as she watched her lizard rejoin the herd and race away. When she heard Connor walk up behind her she turned to look at him.

He was dripping wet but smiling as he bent to pick up his dead lizard, "Got one," he laughed.

"Now we just have to figure out how to cook it," she said, looking a bit sick.

"Don't worry, Abby. I'll get it cleaned and ready to cook. Once it's done, I bet it will taste just like chicken."

She gave him a look of disbelief before changing the subject. Her gaze traveled up from his soaked clothes to the wet hair hanging in his face, "I didn't know we were swimming today," she said with a smirk.

"Yes, it's definitely swimming day," he said as he grabbed her hand and dragged her toward the water.

"Oh, no. Connor Temple don't you dare throw me in the water," she yelled, digging in her heels and trying to pull her hand free.

Connor gave up the game and instead hugged her happily while she shrieked at being held against his cold, wet clothes. "Abby, you know I wouldn't throw you in the water," he said.

"Gee, thanks," she replied as she felt water trickling down her shirt from his hug. "Connor, you're wet," she said in mock anger. Then she quickly kissed his cheek. "Thank you for catching dinner."

Connor smiled down at her. When she didn't move away, he wrapped one, dripping-wet arm around her shoulder. Abby put her arm around his waist.

He wasn't sure what the gesture meant, but he was suddenly very happy. Together they walked back to the cave.

****

Remember, comments make writers happy.


	5. The Pool

The Pool

The waterfall looked like multiple, shining strands of silver decorating the cliff side at the edge of the pool. The thundering sound it made during the final drop into the water was soothing and acted like a wonderful, but cold, shower for Abby and Connor.

They took turns standing guard for each other so as not to be caught unaware by a predator. Connor kept his handmade, wooden spear ready as he scanned the surrounding area for signs of trouble. He glanced back at the pool to make sure Abby was all right and ended up staring at her beauty. She had just emerged from the water, her back to him with arms raised to squeeze the excess moisture from her hair. Every bit of her clothing was spread out on the surrounding rocks drying in the sun.

All that golden skin was enough to make any man stare, he thought. He forced himself to turn away. He took a deep breath and made himself scan the area again.

He loved her, and had done so for many years, but he kept that bit of information tucked away deep inside. He tried to tell her once or twice, but it never seemed to work out the way he hoped. Either he would muck it up or she would. He thought he did all right when it came to women, but he was choosy, and Abby was exactly what he wanted. It made him sad that she didn't feel the same. Every time he thought he might have a chance with her, she showed him differently. Like the one time he had actually managed to say the "L" word; he had gotten her back to safety and someone had called him her boyfriend. Abby had immediately denied it. Then there was the "god no, as if" comment to Caroline. Plus the fact that kissing him apparently made things weird for her. Connor thought the kiss they had shared was amazing and often replayed the memory of it in his daydreams. He shook himself out of his thoughts. If Abby didn't love him, he had to accept it, but that wouldn't stop him from loving her.

Abby walked up the trail to where Connor stood. "Your turn," she said with a smile.

Connor nodded, "thanks, I'll try to make it fast." He walked down the path, removing his jackets and black tee-shirt as he went. The wrist guard was next and finally his boots and jeans. He quickly rinsed out his clothes and laid them on the rocks before diving into the cold water.

Abby heard the splash and turned to watch Connor come up under the falls. The water poured down on him, slicking his dark hair against his head and neck, before splashing down his shoulders and back. Her breath caught as she watched. He looked so gorgeous to her. She had fallen in love with him, but she didn't know what to do about it. She was no longer sure what Connor felt for her.

Once he had told her he loved her, but when she had asked him about it later, he had refused to admit it and then gone merrily out the door with Caroline! Abby had tried various ways of showing him she cared, like kissing him on the cheek, taking his hand when he offered to help with the dracorex and even full out kissing him. The kiss had been a fantastic surprise to her and she had enjoyed it entirely too much. Afterward she had been embarrassed about getting so carried away. Still unsure of her feelings, she had told him she didn't want things to be weird between them. Part of her had hoped that Connor would disagree and sweep her into another wonderful kiss, but he had seemed fine with it. Her pride wouldn't allow her to continue to chase him when it seemed he just wanted to be flat-mates.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. A spinosaurus had just come over the ridge heading toward the water.

She quickly picked up her spear and ran down the trail to Connor.

Connor had just pulled on his jeans and boots when he saw Abby running toward him.

"We've got company," she said.

He scooped up the rest of his clothes in one arm and reached out to take Abby's hand in his, leading her to a cave behind the water fall. Neither one realized how natural it had become to touch, often running hand in hand or wrapping around each other in sleep.

The spinosaurus made its way to the water's edge while Connor watched from inside the cave. "It will probably be a while before it leaves, but I think we'll be safe here," he said grinning down at her. The smile faded from his face as he realized she was staring at his bare chest and when her eyes flicked down to his waist, his heart skipped a beat.

Connor closed his eyes to gather his courage, and said in a low, husky voice, "Abby, I'm cold. Will you hold me please?"

He held out his arms to her as she raised her beautiful, blue eyes to his and stepped into his embrace.

*******

Author's note: Comments? Like it? Hate it? I might do more of these if I get enough positive reviews. I'm getting a bit discouraged. Is my writing worth reading? Suggestions for improvement are appreciated.


	6. Life and Death

Author's Note: This one gave me fits. I love the characters of Connor and Abby and hope I've done well by them. Thanks so much for reading and commenting.

Life and Death

The argument had been pointless but all encompassing. They had argued about anomalies, about food, about searching the area, and about the cave. Both Abby and Connor had ended up frustrated and upset.

Connor refused to apologize. He thought Abby was being ridiculous and decided it was about time she understood he could be stubborn too.

Abby was doing her very best to ignore Connor. Everything about him rubbed her the wrong way. She had been tense for the past two days, so when Connor brought up the anomalies, she had been ready to fight. He had tried to calm her down, but that just made it worse.

After putting up with Abby's criticism all morning, Connor's temper had finally flared. The resulting fight had left them both hurting and defensive. They hadn't talked in hours.

As the morning wore on, Connor reined in his temper enough to suggest they go look for food. Abby scowled at him and stomped out of the cave without a word.

Connor clenched his jaw unconsciously as he watched her leave. She was making him crazy. He took a deep breath and sighed, it was going to be a long day. He grabbed his spear and ran to catch up with her; but stopped when he spotted a mineral deposit. He thought he could manage an arrowhead-type blade if he could find the right sort of rock. He set his spear aside to get a closer look.

Abby kept walking.

*****

The female raptor lifted its head to listen and smell. The prey was close. She made a rustling sound with the stiff feathers along her spine to alert her mate, and settled into the plants to wait. The raptors had hunted as a team for many seasons. It was a guaranteed kill.

*****

By the time Abby had calmed down enough to make up with Connor, she noticed she couldn't hear him behind her. She was about to turn back, when she spotted a few small trees covered in fruit. Perfect, she thought. She could take it back to him as a way to apologize.

As she pulled the fruit from the branches, she heard a sound. Something was moving toward her through the brush. She suddenly remembered her spear was back at the cave. She had left it behind in her rush to get away from Connor. When she heard the raptor call out, she knew she was in big trouble. Breaking into a run, she screamed, "Connor!"

Connor had moved on from the mineral deposit and was trying to figure out where Abby had gone, when he heard her scream. He raced toward her. The terror in her voice had adrenalin pumping through his body. When he spotted the raptor gaining on her, he forced himself to move even faster. He was almost there when she tripped and fell to the ground. Connor nearly blacked out from the fear when he saw her go down, but he forced all emotion away. He needed to think and act or Abby was dead.

He ran straight at the raptor as it lowered its head looking for the best place to bite Abby. Connor thrust his spear directly into the raptor's heart, hitting it with enough force to push it away from her. The creature gave one barking cry as it died.

When Connor heard the roar in the distance, he knew they were still in danger. He tried to pull his spear out of the dead raptor but it was embedded too deeply. He grabbed Abby's hand, pulled her off the ground and yelled, "Run."

Her heart was ready to burst as she ran beside Connor. No weapon. Too far from the cave. _This is it_, she thought.

The second raptor galloped toward them as Connor stopped to pick up a sturdy branch. "Abby, we can't outrun it, we're going to have to fight. Can you help distract it?"

"Yeah, O.K.," she panted.

The raptor stopped 30 meters away. The prey wasn't running, so the creature cautiously moved closer and looked for an opportunity to attack.

Abby waved her arms and threw a rock to get its attention. The raptor circled toward her as Connor got ready to swing the branch. Without warning, the creature turned to Connor, snapped its jaws onto the branch and pulled. Connor watched helplessly as the branch was ripped out of his hands and flung away. "Abby, get out of here," he cried.

Connor hoped she might actually follow instructions for once, as she wheeled away from him.

The raptor stalked forward, roaring. He watched it approach, and wondered how badly it would hurt to die.

The next second, Abby was there. With an angry shout, she swung the branch directly into the side of the creature's head and jaw. Pure terror gave her extra strength as the branch connected and she heard a sharp snap as the raptor's neck broke. The creature died instantly.

Abby and Connor stared at each other in shock, before numbly moving to embrace one another. They stood locked together, trembling.

Connor needed more. He couldn't get close enough. He whispered her name as he placed a kiss on her jacket near her collarbone. Then he kissed the side of her neck, the line of her jaw and the soft skin below her ear. Abby thought she heard him whisper her name again as he kissed her cheek. Then he moved to kiss her eyelids and the tip of her nose. Finally, he ducked his head and slanted his mouth over hers, concentrating on kissing her as he had wanted for so long.

Abby held Connor to her, running a hand through his hair as she kissed him back. She forgot where she was, forgot the terror she had just been through and lost herself in him. Kissing him was even more wonderful than she remembered. His moustache and beard tickled, but Abby didn't mind in the least. They were alive and together.

He kissed her over and over, needing to reassure himself that they were both all right. Breaking the kiss, he nuzzled his cheek against hers and said softly, "Abby, I love you." Then he pulled back just enough to look into her eyes.

She stared up at him, her face breaking into one of her rare, full-out smiles, "Good. Because I love you too."

She saw amazement on his face before he quickly pulled her back into his arms and kissed her passionately. Abby wrapped her arms around his neck and angled her head to give him more.

Connor took a deep breath and let it out in a huge sigh as he reluctantly pulled away from her. "I can't believe I'm going to say this," he groaned. "Abby we can't do this."

She stared at him for a full five seconds, trying to figure out what was going on in Connor's head, before she gave up and simply asked "Why?"

"Well, I know you _think_ you love me, but there's this thing that happens when people are isolated, threatened with death and generally forced together night and day. It happens with hostages," he explained earnestly.

Abby's mouth hung open, "You think I have Stockholm Syndrome?" she asked in disbelief. When he hesitantly nodded at her, she threw up her hands, "You are unbelievable. Honestly, Connor!"

"Look, you've got to admit it's a big change in your attitude. I just don't want you to regret anything when we get back home, in case you change your mind." Silently he added, _and I don't want to love you, only to find out you don't love me, once we're no longer alone_.

"Fine," she said with a frown. She shook her head in disbelief. "Sometimes you are so ridiculous!" she complained. Then she smiled radiantly, "but I still love you, Connor."

Abby turned and walked away as she frantically tried to figure out how she could make him understand.

Confusion and hope flashed across his expressive face as Connor stared after her. He thought he had done the right thing, but he felt so empty and alone. Could she really love him?

He followed Abby back to the cave, but remained outside as he tried to get control of all his feelings. When he thought he could act reasonably normal, he entered the cave.

He was caught completely off guard when Abby ran straight into his arms. Quickly she said, "I know you won't believe this, but I've loved you for a long time. It's just taken me a while to figure it out and then I didn't know how to tell you. I think you are brave and brilliant. You're funny and clever and kind. You put up with all my moods and I know you'll always be there for me. You're a good man and I never, ever want to be without you. Please believe me…"

Connor had never seen Abby so rattled. She was practically babbling; all because of him. He gently placed two fingers on her lips to silence her. "Abby, shut up," he whispered.

The intensity of his gaze made Abby's heart pound as his dark brown eyes locked with her blue ones. Connor gently trailed his fingers down from her lips to her chin as he tipped her face up for his kiss.

*****

Please comment. Hit the review button right now and tell me what you think.

I sincerely hope you enjoyed this story and the others in Tales from the Cretaceous. I might add more to this if enough people comment.


	7. The Meteor Shower

Author's note: I have gotten such lovely comments on these stories. Thank you again to: Peppy87, Kassandraoftroy, iEvenstarEstel, queenofthecastle, Faire Peacock, GregsMadHatter, Reni7681, Hatterslover1, Casey Dee and N-dubLover4eva, for all the kind words. Seems like I have a few more stories in me after all.

I will keep this story open, so I can add to it when I get new ideas. GregsMadHatter has asked for a story about Connor's injured ankle. I'm thinking about it, but it will be sometime in May before I can post again.

I hope you like this one. It flowed so easy, I think Abby and Connor practically wrote it for me.

The Meteor Shower

The days had started to run together for Abby. Every day was filled with danger and hard work, but there were also moments of happiness.

Connor was her constant in all the turmoil of being stuck in the past. She didn't think she could have survived without him to anchor her both emotionally and physically. He kept her spirits up and she refused to let him give in to despair.

As soon as his ankle healed, he had plunged into the business of keeping them alive with quiet determination. He was so modest about all the tools he created, making it seem like no big deal. He acted as if anyone could do what he did, but Abby finally understood that the things Connor did were practically miraculous. He was truly brilliant. The scope of knowledge he had and the way he applied what he knew was incredible. She was constantly amazed by him.

Of course, she had her own knowledge of animals and plants to help them. She fought right beside him when they were attacked, gave her opinions when he bounced ideas off her and kept him from being too hard on himself. They made a wonderful team.

She studied Connor as he worked by the firelight. He was just finishing a new, improved spear. He lost his first one when it broke, as he tried to pull it free of a dead raptor.

Abby sat down on their blankets, planning to get some sleep, but Connor set his spear aside and caught her hand, "Abby don't go to sleep yet," he said.

"Why? Do you want to talk?"

"No." he said, followed quickly by, "That didn't come out right. What I mean is, yes I want to talk to you, but first I have something to show you." Connor grabbed their blankets and tugged her toward the entrance of the cave.

Abby followed along readily enough, but still asked, "What are you doing, Connor?"

He just smiled and kept walking.

When he pulled her out of the cave and led her to a path going up the cliff side, she complained, "It's dark out here and I can't see where I'm going." 

"Just hold on to my hand" he said as he climbed to a rocky shelf above the entrance to their cave.

He spread out one blanket and sat down with his back against the cliff side. Then he gently tugged Abby's hand, guiding her to sit down between his outstretched legs with her back pressed against his chest. He wrapped an arm around her waist and draped the second blanket over her.

Abby smiled as he pulled her back against him and nuzzled the side of her neck. "We could have snuggled inside the cave, you know."

"I know. But then you wouldn't have gotten to see this," he said as he gently used his fingers to turn her face up toward the sky.

Abby's excited gasp made Connor grin. The jet black sky was streaked with shooting stars moving swiftly across the darkness. Further out, the band of stars known as the Milky Way, seemed to twinkle and flash in counterpoint. Abby counted 15 brilliantly trailing meteors in just the few seconds she watched.

"I noticed a few last night and thought we might get a good show tonight," he explained. "Earth must be moving through the trail of a comet. From the amount of meteors we're seeing, I think this could technically be called a meteor storm rather than a meteor shower. There could be up to a thousand of them within the next hour," he calculated.

"Oh Connor, it's wonderful," she exclaimed. She watched quietly with only the occasional exclamation as the super bright ones blazed through the sky. After a while, she turned to place her head against Connor's chest and hugged him. "When did you first know you loved me?" she asked softly.

"I was attracted to you from the first time I saw you. I absolutely knew I loved you when I saw you drenching wet, with your eye makeup running down your face in that flooded basement. I thought you were dead, but there you were, doing your best to stare down that huge mer-creature. When I almost lost you again on the cliff side, it just sort of came out."

"Yeah, then you refused to say it again for a very long time," she said in an exasperated tone.

"Well you gave me the impression that you didn't want to hear it," he shot back.

"O.K., sorry. You're right. I didn't make it easy for you," she admitted.

"How about you, Abby. When did you first know?" he questioned.

"Loving you snuck up on me. I think I knew for sure after I kissed you for the first time and it scared me half to death," she answered gruffly.

"Still scared?" he asked, as he found her hand under the blanket and linked his fingers with hers.

"A little," she admitted. "I've never loved anyone as much as I do you."

Connor gave a deep sigh, "I'm so happy," he said before he thought how strange that must sound. "Not to be here, of course," he explained, "but to be with you. I think you're beautiful, you know."

"Thank you," she replied. "I think you're gorgeous and very sexy."

"Abby… don't tease."

"No. I'm serious, Connor. You have this kind of stealth factor. You are so nice and easy to be around. I felt comfortable with you and then, WHAM, I realized how wonderful you are and then I started to notice how handsome you look and suddenly I was hooked."

Connor laughed softly, "Is that really how it was for you?

"Not just me. You do realize Caroline wanted you back, right? At Stephen's funeral, she was trying to find a way to get back together with you. I think she fell for you for real," she said suddenly feeling very jealous.

"It would never have worked" he stated seriously. "I was too in love with you."

Abby moved to kiss him softly on the mouth; then snuggled against his chest, hugging him tightly.

He kissed her forehead and asked quietly, "Abby, do you think we'll ever get home?"

Abby looked up, focusing on a particularly bright meteor racing across the night sky, "Yes, I do," she said confidently, "We'll find the way home together."


	8. The Storm

Author's Note: Yes, it has been a while. I bet you had given up on me. I've had a bit of writer's block, but I finally got something written that I like enough to post. I have been mourning the fact that there have been no new sighting of Andrew-Lee Potts and Hannah in Ireland and no leaked pictures from Series 4 since April. I'm like an addict going through withdrawal!

In regard to Kassandraoftroy's comment on chapter 6, "The Second Day": I'm not planning to continue that story any further. I want to keep these as "stand alone moments" rather than putting together a multi-chapter plot line. Hope you like this one – hit review and let me know what you think!

The Storm 

The rain came down in sheets, making it impossible for Abby to see anything beyond the cave. She had been staring into the rain for the past fifteen minutes willing Connor to appear.

He had gone out earlier, planning to get to the stream and catch some fish for dinner. She had offered to go with him, if he would wait until she finished banking the fire, but he had been eager to go on without her. After all, the stream wasn't too far. He had promised to return quickly; so she had stayed behind.

Abby continued to stare out into the downpour as her mind conjured up terrible visions of flash flooding and Connor being swept away or hurt. She turned away from the cave opening, running her hand over her eyes. She felt helpless. Connor was out there somewhere. Her heart froze and her stomach bunched into knots at the thought that he might never return.

A flash of lightening illuminated the entire cavern for a split second before Abby was plunged into darkness again. The flickering glow from the banked fire-pit was the only source of light even though it was mid-day. The massive boom of thunder that followed seemed to roll on and on, making Abby jump at the noise. The storms in the Cretaceous were tremendously intense; making the worst storms she had known seem tame by comparison.

She knew she should stay in the cave and wait it out, but her fear for Connor made her reckless. "Don't you dare die," she said before grabbing her spear and bolting out into the rain.

Connor Temple had managed to spear two fish before the first drops of rain fell. The storm could get bad, he thought as he viewed the dark grey clouds moving in. When the first bolt of lightening reached across the sky, dancing from cloud to cloud, he knew he had stayed too long. He ran for higher ground and on to the nearest opening in the rocks where he could wait out the storm. Good thing Abby is safe in the cave, he thought. He watched as the fury of the storm passed over, then set out for the cave as soon as the rain stopped and the sunlight began to peek through the departing clouds.

When he reached the cave he called out, "Abby, I got two fish. What a storm, eh?"

Silence and emptiness greeted him, making his heart pound when he realized Abby was gone. He dropped the fish next to the fire-pit and ran back toward the stream, yelling "Abby!"

Quickly he followed the path to the stream, searching the ground for any sign of her. When he saw her wooden spear floating in the water he screamed, "Abby, where are you!"

He ran along the bank of the stream, fear beating in his veins. Then he saw her. She was lying in the water, only her blonde head and one arm up on the grassy bank. She lay there face down, unmoving. He stopped; unable to believe what he was seeing. He prayed that she would turn her head and smile up at him. When she didn't move, he ran to her and gently pulled her from the water. When he saw she was breathing, he couldn't stop the tears of relief that ran down his face but he didn't have time for rejoicing. He checked her for wounds but found only minor cuts and bruises. As far as he could tell, the biggest problem was that her skin was icy cold. He picked her up and carried her back to the cave all the while talking to her. "I've got you, Abby. It's O.K. You're going to be fine."

He put a blanket near the fire-pit and set wood and kindling into the embers stirring them back into blazing life. As fast as he could, he stripped all the wet clothes from her cold skin and placed her gently on the blanket. Then he began to pull off his own clothes.

"Body heat. That's what you need."

When he had everything off, he wrapped himself around her and pulled another blanket on top of them. "This will help. Once you get warm, you'll open those beautiful blue eyes and tell me I'm an idiot for leaving you alone."

He hugged her gently, terrified that she was still unconscious. An hour later, he was still holding her and keeping up a steady stream of talk. "Please wake up, Abby. I need you. You have to be my reason for getting up everyday. I'm a better person, a better man when I'm with you. I can't do this without you."

His voice had grown hoarse and his tears ran freely as he whispered, "Please don't leave me."

A tremor ran through Abby's body and her eyes slowly opened. She focused on Connor's face in confusion before she remembered, "I fell in the stream," she mumbled before a coughing fit stopped her words.

She lifted one hand to wipe a tear from his cheek, before asking, "Are you O.K.?"

"God, yes. I'm brilliant." He grinned at her before placing gentle kisses across her face. Then he slowly touched his lips to hers, kissing her with restrained passion.

Abby felt the warmth of his kiss all the way to her soul. It seemed to pour all of Connor's love and strength into her. She kissed him back softly, hoping he could feel her love even though she had no strength to give him at the moment. She closed her eyes and cuddled into his nude body. The thought that they were skin to skin flitted through her mind but she felt too drained to register anything more than comfort. "I'm still really cold and tired," she mumbled. "I need to sleep some more. Hold me?"

"Rest," he said quietly, "I'm here and I'm never letting go."

As Connor held Abby against his heart, he thought about how his love for her had grown. She was so much a part of him that he honestly didn't think he could live without her. If he had lost her today, he would have wanted to die too.

He promised himself that one way or another he would get them both home. As soon as she recovered, he would search the entire area, bit by bit, for any sign of Danny or Helen or a way home.

He kissed the top of her head and settled his body along the length of hers, spooning her in his heat as he quietly vowed, "I swear I'll get us home."

As many of the other wonderful writers on this site will tell you, we live for reviews. Self-doubt is my middle name, so please hit the button below and leave a comment. Thanks!


	9. The Storm  Abby's POV

Author's Note: This is a bit of a departure for me. This is Story 7: The Storm, told from Abby's point of view. I really wanted to write about her experience from the time she ran out of the cave until she woke up in Connor's arms. So here it is! Hope you like it, but whether you do or not, please leave a comment. I know you are out there reading… so say something. Thanks again to all those around the world (the idea of a world-wide audience still astounds me), who read my stories and leave comments.

So here we go again…

The Storm – Abby's POV

"Don't you dare die," she said as she grabbed her spear and bolted out into the rain.

Abby was drenched after her first step out of the cave, but she kept going. She needed to find Connor. The path to the stream was fairly smooth, but the rain was so intense that she had a hard time seeing more than a foot in front of her.

When she heard the rush of the swollen stream, she knew she was close. "Connor" she yelled as loud as she could. She inched forward toward the water, trying to see or hear any sign of him. She leaned toward the water, sliding one foot forward on the grassy bank as she called out to him again, "Connor, answer me."

A sudden flash of lightening followed immediately by a boom of thunder made her flinch. The sudden movement shifted her weight and her foot slipped sending her into the turbulent water of the stream. Rain beat down on her as the current swiftly pulled her into the deepest part of the rushing river. Abby fought hard to get back to the bank, but the freezing cold water and the dragging weight of her clothes sapped her strength. She kept swimming even though she was no longer sure she was moving toward the bank. Her head slipped under the waves as the churning water rolled over her. She fought her way back to the surface, trying to suck in air as she continued to resist. Her body wanted to stop struggling, to let go, but Abby's willpower kept her moving. With the last of her strength she kicked out hard, praying to feel the side of the bank against her hand.

The noise of the rain and thunder and rushing water all around her was deafening; yet she was also keenly aware of the sound of her own gasping breath. Suddenly all sound receded. She was falling into a dark tunnel as the last of her strength vanished. As she lost consciousness, Abby had a dream.

At first she thought her life was flashing before her, but this wasn't a past experience. She found herself in a white room, propped up in a bed holding two small babies. They were wrapped in white blankets, but she knew without looking that one was a little girl and one was a little boy. The tiny faces that peered up at her had dark eyes and dark hair. Her daughter made a tiny cooing sound and her newborn son yawned, revealing a miniature dimple on his left cheek. She smiled, feeling intense joy as Connor sat down beside her, kissing each of their children before leaning over to kiss her.

Abby was shocked and surprised at the idea of being a Mum, but as the vision faded, she wistfully tried to call the dream back. She felt regret that she would never have those beautiful children, to be a real family with Connor. "Love you," she mumbled before everything went black.

She was floating. Nothing hurt and she just wanted to continue to drop into the darkness that surrounded her. The only thing that was keeping her from letting go was a familiar voice. She knew that voice but she wanted silence. She wanted to tell him to be quiet so she could go back to her dream, but she couldn't find the energy. He was going on and on about something but she didn't know what he was saying.

She flashed on images of Connor Temple as he slipped into her life, almost unnoticed at first. Annoying, funny and somehow compelling, he soon took over her flat and her attention as he gave her friendship, humor, protection and support.

The pictures in her mind were interrupted as she tried to focus on his voice. The sadness and fear she heard drew her and she wanted to tell him it was all right.

All her thoughts came and went, floating past her in the dark until she felt the heat. Her cold, cold body was being held against the sun. She felt the molten fire embrace her and although it hurt to pull away from the numbing cold, she knew she needed this particular fire.

A shiver ran through her as she recognized Connor's arms surrounding her. With a great deal of effort, she managed to open her eyes and focus on him. She wondered why he was crying. "I fell in the stream," she managed to say before a fit of coughing stopped her words. Her hand came up to wipe the tears from his face, as she asked, "Are you O.K.?"

His smile was brilliant as he answered her, then kissed her. His kiss was different than any of the other kisses they had shared. It seemed to heal and strengthen her.

She kissed him back softly before cuddling into his warmth. The feel of skin against skin; of being cocooned in his heat comforted her. "I'm still really cold and tired," she mumbled. "I need to sleep some more. Hold me?"

"Rest," he said quietly, "I'm here and I'm never letting go."

Perfect, she thought as the image of two tiny faces popped into her head again. As she dropped back into sleep, Abby knew she was safe in the shelter of Connor's arms. No matter what the following days and weeks held, the future belonged to them.

xxxxxxxx

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	10. Searching

Author's note: The beautiful springtime weather in Denver inspired me to write this one. Poor Connor and Abby are still misreading each other. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you, thank you, to everyone who leaves comments/reviews. Your encouraging words make me so happy!

Searching 

It was very early morning; the time when the brightening sky only gave the promise of sunrise. The last of the stars faded from view and the moon retreated behind the mountains as Connor watched. He turned to enter the cave that he and Abby Maitland shared, anxious to start the day's search.

Connor was determined to find out what happened to Danny Quinn. He planned a search pattern that radiated out from their cave and set boundaries based on easily identified landmarks. He had decided to check every meter of land, section by section, to a distance of how far he could walk in a half-day's time. He remembered downloading Helen's route to the anomalies, and felt sure that a half-day's walk would take him far enough to find any trace of Danny or Helen.

He started the searches as soon as Abby felt well enough to hike.

She had recovered physically from her recent brush with hypothermia, but he wasn't sure how she was doing emotionally. Connor had caught her looking at him in a very odd way over the past few days. She seemed to be studying him intensely, but as soon as he tried to meet her eyes, she would look away.

He found himself getting nervous and unsure, feeling much the same as he had before they got trapped in the Cretaceous. He wondered if she had changed her mind about him again. He couldn't think what to do, other than give her some space.

To give Abby space in the Cretaceous was not an easy thing. They had to physically stay in the same area for protection, so he backed off emotionally, and began to treat her as a friend again rather than a girlfriend. He no longer nuzzled and kissed her. When they slept, he turned on his side with his back to her.

He desperately missed the feel of her body pulled up tight against his and the weight of her head on his chest.

To make matters worse, he couldn't get the image of her beautiful body out of his mind. He had seen every inch of her up close when she had been unconscious. At the time, his fear for her had been his only thought, but his mind had filed away the picture of her beauty and the feel of her warm, soft skin against his. Now thoughts of being with her tortured him endlessly.

He and Abby only kissed and petted. Making love was off limits. She might get pregnant. Plus they didn't want to give up hope of getting home, so they agreed to wait.

Now he wondered if the relationship was over before it could truly start. He tried to stay quiet, afraid to start a conversation that would give Abby the chance to tell him she didn't love him.

So he gave her space, but despite his best efforts, every time they left the cave he took her hand. It had become automatic and it was his last way of touching her.

Abby heard Connor enter the cave, but continued to work on loading her backpack for the morning's walk.

She felt so confused. She had started to think of him as "the one" - her partner for life. She often caught herself staring at him, trying to reconcile the man he had become with the boy she had known. On top of that, for the past several days, Connor had kept his distance and she didn't understand what had happened.

She wasn't sure why, but something had changed since he pulled her from the water and carried her back to the cave. At first, everything had been wonderful. Connor had been attentive and loving as she recovered, but then he had started to withdraw from her. He no longer talked to her in the evenings and he hadn't kissed her in days. He wouldn't even hold her when they slept. "So much for dreams," she whispered to herself. She was terribly lonely, and missed the closeness that had developed between them in the last several months.

She couldn't figure out what she had done wrong. Perhaps he wasn't attracted to her body. He had stripped the wet clothes off her when she had been unconscious. Maybe he didn't like what he saw. She worried that her slim figure wasn't curvy enough for him. She knew some men considered her pretty, but Connor no longer seemed to be interested. She hoped he would talk to her soon, as she couldn't find the courage to ask him directly.

She forced her attention to her pack as she placed strips of dried meat and pieces of fruit inside along with the canteen, then she turned to him. "Ready?"

"Yes. We'll start on the northern side today, as we haven't been that way at all," he answered quietly.

He swung his pack onto his shoulders, picked up his spear and reached for Abby's hand. She wrapped her fingers around his hand and followed him as he walked toward the north. They walked in silence, keeping their eyes open for any foreign objects that Danny or Helen might have left behind. Just one piece of torn fabric or a bit of trash would let them know a human had been through the area.

The morning light grew stronger, casting deep shadows across the path as they came to an overlook of the valley off to the east. Connor stopped for a moment to enjoy the sight of a huge herd of Clothosaurus grazing peacefully in the distance before he continued along the ridge. The downward walk was quiet except for a Pteranodon that glided overhead. It looked like another unsuccessful day, but Connor refused to give up. They had only covered a small amount of the total search area.

Continuing on, they passed through an area of large ferns and by mid-morning had come to a meadow ringed with flowering trees and bushes. It was the perfect spot to rest. They both set their packs on the ground and Connor leaned his spear against a tree trunk.

"Oh, look," Abby exclaimed as she spotted movement in the trees, "butterflies!"

Connor saw the happy expression on Abby's face and couldn't help but grin in return. He wasn't terribly interested in butterflies, but the joyful look on her face prompted him to explain, "Butterflies, bees, ants and flowering plants are all new. No evidence of them has been found before the Cretaceous."

"I think the flowers are Magnolia and Viburnum," she said with delight.

She moved forward to pull a bloom to her face. It smelled so heavenly that she gestured to Connor to join her. "Come smell this," she said. Butterflies of iridescent blue and hot pink fluttered through the air around them; one landed in Connor's hair as he walked to her.

He stood next to her and breathed in. "Smells nice," he said. On impulse, he snapped the bloom from the tree and tucked it into Abby's hair as he smiled down at her.

She stared up into his eyes, the awkwardness between them momentarily forgotten as she said, "That was very romantic of you."

Connor didn't speak as he gazed into her eyes, searching for answers. When he saw the love shining in her expression, he pulled her to him in a tight hold and kissed her with desperate passion. She kissed him back, emotion overwhelming her. It had been too long since he held her like this. She slid both hands up his chest to wrap her arms around his neck, molding her body along the length of his. He moaned at the feel of her pressed to him, but concentrated on kissing her as she melted into his embrace. They were both breathing hard when they finally stepped away from each other.

Abby was the first to speak. "Wow, that was really good!" she said shakily.

Connor waited for his heart to stop pounding before he cautiously agreed, "Yeah, it was." He paused for a moment before rushing on, "Abby, these past several days have been strange. I thought maybe you didn't love me anymore."

Abby shook her head in confusion, "I thought you didn't want me anymore."

He gave her a stunned look of disbelief before saying, "Are you kidding? I want you so bad, I'd lay you down in this meadow right now, if I wasn't afraid of getting eaten by something."

Abby blushed, "We have got to work on our communication. But for now, I think we'd better finish searching this zone."

As she turned to walk onward, Connor replied in a strained voice, "Give me a minute."

Abby looked back at him with a questioning glance. When she realized why Connor needed time, she quickly covered her mouth with her hand to hide her wide smile. There was no longer any doubt in Abby's mind that Connor wanted her.

When he noticed her attempt to hide her smiling face, he took a deep breath and grinned back at her, "So you think this is funny? It's not nice to laugh at a man in pain."

"Sorry," she replied, not looking sorry at all.

After his body calmed down, he ran toward her, elated that she still loved him. Abby giggled and turned to run away from him, racing through the meadow as she enjoyed the game of pursuit.

"Come back here and I'll give you something to laugh about," he promised.

He chased her through the deep grass of the meadow causing all the butterflies in the nearest magnolia tree to take flight. Connor caught Abby and gathered her into his arms. She smiled happily as she said, "Connor, I love you."

"Love you too, Abby," he said as he ducked his head to kiss her in the morning sunshine while butterflies filled the air around them in a flurry of sound and color.

For now they would take comfort in each other. Tomorrow the search would begin again.

xxxxxxx

O.K., I get bored asking you to review the same old way after every story. So this time I've taken one of my stories as hostage and I'm holding it for ransom. I want one MILLION dollars… no wait, wrong evil threat. How about… post a review or the story gets it!

Joking, but please hit the review button and leave a comment.


	11. Separated

Author's note: I haven't said this in a while so just in case anyone is confused, I don't own the characters of Connor and Abby. Darn it! To all who are reading and reviewing – thank you!

Separated

Connor and Abby had been walking all morning, following the ridgeline of a hill. Connor stopped to view the surrounding area. The rocky path they were on was dry and dusty with small, scrubby bushes and the occasional spiked plume of greenery. He dropped his backpack to the ground and bent to get his canteen. "Abby, do you want a drink?"

"Thanks," she said, taking it from his hands. She sat down on a large boulder, sipped the water and handed it back.

Connor sat down next to her, taking a moment to rub his cheek against her hair, before he took a gulp from the canteen. He screwed the lid back on and said, "It's almost noon. I think we should head back."

"Good. I'm more than ready," she said with a sigh. She ran her hand across Connor's back to hug him before she stood up. "Remember, you promised we could hunt and bathe at the waterfall tomorrow," she reminded him.

Connor stood up and walked toward his pack. "Maybe we can risk bathing together," he said with a grin. He looked into her eyes to find her smiling back at him.

"Connor Temple skinny dipping with a girl? I'm shocked," she teased.

"Not just any girl," he said enjoying their banter.

At that moment, something small and scaly scuttled across his path. He dodged to the side, but caught the tip of his boot on his backpack. Off balance, he took two steps backward to the edge of the ridge. His left foot slipped on the loose earth followed by his right as the ground gave way.

Abby had a split second to see the look of surprise on his face before he disappeared over the side. "Connor" she screamed as she dropped to the ground and quickly crawled forward to peer over the ledge.

Connor was sprawled on his back, covered in dust about 40 feet below her. Luckily, the spot where he fell was a steep slope rather than a straight drop-off. After the initial fall, he rolled the rest of the way down.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

He looked up at her and said "Ow," before slowly sitting up. He shook some of the dust from his hair and jacket. He checked his arms and legs and untangled the canteen strap that was still wrapped around his wrist before he gingerly stood up. "I'm fine, just a bit dirty and bruised."

He studied the loose dirt and the pitch of the slope and said, "Abby, I don't think I can get back up to you."

"I'll come down," she suggested.

"No. Don't. You might break your neck."

"So what do we do?"

"It's getting late. We need to start back to the cave. Follow the path back and I'll keep looking for a place where I can climb up," he suggested.

"O.K.," she answered, "but I don't like us being separated like this."

"I'm not exactly thrilled about it either," he replied dryly. "Look we can argue later, but for now let's head back."

They walked for several hours with Abby carrying his pack plus hers and both spears. She was getting extremely annoyed when he called up to her, "Still no way up."

"I can see that," she snapped as she threw both packs on the ground trying to catch her breath.

Abby, there's something coming toward me, he yelled.

She watched in horror as a group of six adult raptors backed Connor toward the steep slope. They moved slowly, showing their teeth as they waited for him to run.

He was trapped without a weapon. The thought went through his head that he really didn't want to die and leave Abby. _Oh god, Abby_, he thought, _she shouldn't see what's about to happen_.

His voice was calm as he called out to her, "Abby, get back to the cave. Don't wait for me."

"I'm not leaving you," she yelled.

The raptors suddenly stopped and lifted their heads to scent the air. All six turned and galloped off without another look at Connor. "What just happened?" he asked in confusion.

Abby scanned the horizon and screamed, "Spinosaurus! Run, Connor."

As he sprinted for cover, he yelled, "Get to the cave. I'll meet you there tonight."

Abby watched him run until he was out of sight before she picked up their gear and hurried along the trail. She wanted nothing more than to reach the cave and find Connor waiting for her. When she got there, the cave was empty. _Of course, he isn't here; he has to find a way back. It will take him longer_, she thought.

As the sun set, she built up the fire until it was blazing, wanting him to be able to see the light from wherever he was. Then she sat down to wait.

Hours later, Abby decided she wasn't very good at waiting. She jumped up to pace while she watched the sky outside the cave get darker. Finally she sat down with her back against the cave wall. The emptiness and silence could drive a person crazy, she thought. She had never noticed before because Connor was always there to keep her entertained. She was totally alone for the first time in months and it was horrifying. She hugged his backpack to her as she pulled her legs up to her chest and buried her face in her knees. "Where are you?" she whispered. "Please be all right."

Connor was about as far from all right as a person could get. The spinosaurus had followed him to a rocky area and was currently nosing its way through the boulders trying to find him. Each large rock it pushed aside brought it closer to him. As it shoved another slab of rock out of the way, he scrambled back until there was no where left to go. When he noticed the sound of rushing water, he decided to try to make it to the river. He got ready to run, but stopped when he heard the roar of an approaching T-Rex. The spinosaurus backed up swinging its spiked tail to keep the other creature at bay. The second swing of its tail raked the T-Rex along one thigh, making deep gouges in its flesh. The T-Rex bellowed in pain but kept moving closer to clamp its jaws around the neck of the spinosaurus. As the two fought and roared, Connor spotted a way back up the hillside and sprinted for the ridge. He was halfway up when the tail of the spinosaurus thumped down onto the path directly in front of him. He fell back but quickly rolled to his feet and ran forward as the massive tail flicked upward. Heart pounding, he made his way back up to the top of the ridge. With the light of the moon to guide him, he quickly walked back to the cave. He smiled wearily as he spotted the firelight, bright as a beacon leading him home.

As soon as he entered the cave, he saw Abby. She was curled into herself, head buried in her knees. When she raised her head and looked at him with watery eyes, he froze. It took him a minute to register the fact that she had been crying over him. "Still in one piece," he said soothingly.

Abby jumped up and ran to him. She knotted her arms around his neck in a fierce hold, refusing to let him pull away from her. He didn't even try. He held on tight as he said, "It's O.K. I'm here. We're O.K."

After several minutes, she loosened her hold enough to kiss his neck and cheek and mouth. She was so happy to have him safe and back at her side.

When Connor realized she was shaking, he lowered them both to the ground still holding her close. She pushed him onto his back and kissed him again before she looked deep into his eyes. Connor watched warily as her expression changed from joy to indignation.

Suddenly she was blazingly angry. She braced her arms on his chest and glared at him. "Don't ever do that again," she yelled. "Of all the stupid… pointless… I won't have you breaking your neck or getting yourself eaten by some creature!" She scowled at him then laid her head on his chest.

"You must really love me," Connor said in astonishment.

Abby sat up and frowned at him as he continued, "I haven't heard you yell like that since your brother, Jack, almost got himself killed."

Before she could say anything more, Connor pulled her down onto her back, leaned over her and brushed his lips over hers. When she still looked cross, he kissed her again more passionately. He broke the kiss to say, "I'm going to keep kissing you until you're not angry with me anymore." His voice was low and sexy as he studied her face and lips, "If I'm lucky, it could take hours."

Abby shivered at the look of desire in his eyes. She brought her hand up to gently stroke the hair along his jaw as she smiled at him. "It could be all night," she murmured happily, as she tipped her face up for another kiss.

xxxxx

Again, hit the pretty, pretty link and review the story. 4 out of 5 fans agree… reviewing my stories will give you a brighter smile, help you get more dates and make you much cooler than the people who don't comment. Plus it makes me a happy writer. Thanks for reading!


	12. Dreams and Fear

Author's note: I started out with the idea that this story would be solid angst and pain for Connor and Abby. I got the whole thing written and just couldn't post it. There are plenty of other writers that put these characters through pain. For me, it just doesn't sit right. I see these two as having a solid bond. They may get worried and upset with each other, but the underlying caring is always there. So the final story has angst, but as always, everything turns out well. I like how this one worked out. Let me know what you think.

Dreams and Fear

Abby was dreaming. In the dream she was sitting alone eating a piece of chocolate cake at an outdoor café. She was wearing a bright red dress and matching stiletto heels. As she licked the creamy icing off her fork, she noticed men at the other tables giving her interested glances. Abby smiled, enjoying the attention, but turned away from the men to watch the people strolling along the pavement. A cool breeze ruffled her skirt and tossed her hair around her face as she closed her eyes in contentment.

Suddenly the ground below her table crumbled and disappeared into a deep hole. Abby was falling, until a strong hand gripped her left wrist. She looked up to see Connor holding on to her. He began to pull her up, but to Abby's horror, he stopped to stare down at her coldly, like he was studying something unworthy. As she dangled over the pit, he pulled out his cell phone. He turned the screen toward Abby so she could read the text message. Two words filled the screen: IT'S OVER. She shook her head and struggled in panic as Connor released her wrist. As she fell into the endless darkness, she looked up to see Connor grin down at her and cheerfully wave goodbye.

Abby jerked awake with a muffled cry and sat up quickly. She stared down at Connor who was still sleeping peacefully at her side.

She smacked Connor's chest angrily then watched him roll to his feet and look around the cave in confusion. "What's wrong? What happened?" he asked anxiously.

"You dropped me," she said unhappily. "You just let me fall."

Connor frowned at her, "Abby, you aren't making any sense. I was sound asleep and you hit me for no reason."

"I had a dream," she explained. "You broke up with me by text message and then literally dropped me into a deep hole."

Connor looked at her as if she had lost her mind. "You hit me because of something I did in your dream?"

Abby lifted her chin stubbornly and said, "Yes."

Instead of making a joke as he normally might, he ran his hand through his hair and said, "Sometimes I don't understand you. You always seem to expect the worst of me."

He walked to the entrance of the cave and sighed sadly, "I'll be outside for a while," he told her as he left without looking back.

Abby watched him go. She wondered if her dream was becoming a reality. Abby felt it was pretty obvious that her dream was linked to her trust issues and fear of being hurt. She always chose the wrong men. Her dream might be trying to warn her that Connor wasn't right for her.

Abby's conscience reminded her that Connor was the sweetest, most caring person she had ever met, but she clung to her fears. She had pushed him away for years, refusing to be anything more than friends. Maybe she should have remembered her fear and kept him at arm's length. It was all such a mess. Being stuck in such a dangerous and stressful situation had pushed her to open up to him emotionally and she felt herself falling deeper and deeper in love with Connor. He would have the power to hurt her if she allowed things to go on.

She felt so panicked and terrified. Her mind justified all her fears. Surely, it would be better for them both if she pushed him away before things went any further. She laughed bitterly at herself, wondering why all her relationships fell apart.

Connor stayed outside for several hours watching the clouds blow across the sky as he thought about Abby. He wondered if she would ever really let him into her heart. He thought things had been going incredibly well, until she hit him this morning. Now he felt more wary than ever of the relationship they had started. As soon as they got home she would probably deny they had ever gotten close. The idea of her saying, _He's not my boyfriend_, to the first person who asked, made his stomach clench.

He really hoped she had feelings for him, but he had been stung too many times by her actions to fully believe her. When had his luck ever allowed such a beautiful girl to actually fall for him? He should be thanking the heavens that Abby had allowed him to kiss her and hold her these past months, but part of him whispered that he deserved better. If she loved him, she should think better of him.

He tucked his hurt away, stood up and walked slowly into the cave.

Abby took a deep breath and got to her feet as he approached her. They stared at each other, while Connor waited patiently for her to speak.

"I think we should break up," she said hesitantly.

He froze in shock as her words registered in his mind and heart. "No," he said quietly.

"What do you mean, no?" she asked. "I can't do this anymore," she tried to explain.

Connor was totally out of his depth and hurting but he asked, "Abby, why to do you want to break up?"

Abby looked at the ground with a frown on her face as she spoke, "I'm not sure we should be together. You might have been right about not starting a relationship in the Cretaceous. I think being friends would be better for us both," she reasoned.

Connor listened carefully, accepting her explanation. A few months ago, he would have gone along with her and agreed to what she wanted, but he just couldn't do it anymore. This time he decided to tell her what he wanted. Clenching his jaw, he mustered his courage and once again said, "No. It wouldn't be better for me. I love you and that doesn't have anything to do with being stuck here. I loved you before we got here and I'll love you after we get home." He watched her face for a moment before he finished, "If you don't love me, tell me now."

Abby couldn't believe Connor had stood up to her. She expected him to quietly agree to her decision. She looked at him in confusion as he waited for her answer.

"It's not that I don't love you," she began. "I just need some time to sort out what would be best," she snapped defensively.

"Fine. Take some time," he said in exasperation.

The rest of the day passed quickly. They both kept very busy hunting and preparing food. At bedtime, Connor lay down flat on his back, put both hands behind his head and closed his eyes.

Abby lay down on the very edge of the blanket with her back to Connor.

Both lay motionless, neither able to sleep. Each stayed awake, lost in thought, for hours.

Abby woke up the next morning when she heard Connor shout her name.

He had been dreaming about her hanging off the mer-creature's cliff; only this time she had ripped her hand away from his and allowed herself to fall as he watched helplessly. His heart was pounding as he jerked awake.

He realized that sometime during the night Abby had ended up in his arms with her head against his chest. He tightened his arm around her back as they stared into each other's eyes.

Connor pulled her completely on top of him in one swift move. He was still caught up in the feelings of loss generated by his dream. He needed to touch her, but he gave her the final choice as he asked, "Abby?"

She heard the passionate question in his voice and answered him with quick, desperate kisses along his jaw and cheek. All he had to do was touch her and her fears faded.

He wrapped both arms around her, and slid one hand up her back to thread his fingers in her hair. He cupped her head in his hand, holding her mouth to his. When that wasn't enough, he lightly ran his tongue along the seam of her lips silently asking her to open for him. When she did, he kissed her deeply.

Abby lifted her mouth away from his to whisper, "I love the way you kiss me."

"That's good news because I love kissing you," he grinned. He watched her for a moment before his expression turned serious. "Now tell me that you love me," he said softly.

"I love you," she whispered.

"So what happened yesterday? Why did you say we should just be friends?" he asked insistently.

"Can't we just drop it?" she begged.

"No, I don't think so," he said. "Abby, just tell me," he pleaded.

"Connor… I didn't mean it when I said we should break up," she admitted gruffly. "I always mess things up when I get too close to someone. It's like I try to find reasons to stop my relationships," she said. "I get scared. Every time I've trusted a man in the past, I've regretted it. Maybe that's why I always look for the worst from you," she said.

"I'm not like your other boyfriends," he said gently. He tried for a small grin as he said, "Remember me? Science Fiction/Horror loving, dinosaur chasing, genius, who loves you?"

"It's a good thing you're not like the others," she admitted. "I guess I'm scared because now that I love you, it matters. It could hurt badly if something goes wrong between us and that frightens me," she explained.

Connor listened with growing happiness as Abby really exposed her heart to him. "Look you've got plenty of things to be scared about, but I'm not one of them" he replied seriously.

I trust my life to you all the time," she said in frustration. "Why is this so difficult?"

"Maybe its time you learn to trust your heart to me," he answered. "I will never hurt you," he pledged as he hugged Abby to his side.

Abby thought about his words and smiled. "You know you are getting to be even more stubborn than me," she said happily. "I couldn't believe it when you told me no, I couldn't break up with you."

"I was just saving you from making a terrible mistake," he replied cheekily. "As long as you love me, I'm staying with you."

"Promise?" she asked quietly.

"Abigail Sarah Maitland, I promise to love, honor and cherish you, for the rest of my life," he said solemnly.

Abby's eyes grew large as she recognized the standard wedding vows Connor had just given her. She took a deep breath and began, "Connor Temple, I promise…"

Connor stopped her words with a kiss. "Don't finish that Abby. If you do, I'm going to want a wedding night really, really badly," he admitted while running one hand down her hip. "Just remember where you left off for when we get home, O.K.?" he said with a huge grin.

Abby braced herself against his chest and wrapped her fingers in his hair. She smiled down at him and said, "god, I love you. Now maybe we should practice just a little for the wedding night," she teased, as she proceeded to kiss him passionately.


	13. Lester

Author's note: I have a plan for the next several months. I am going to try to post at least one story/chapter per month through December to dovetail my 'Tales from the Cretaceous' stories with the beginning of Series 4. Thank you again to everyone who is reading and reviewing these stories. It totally makes my day to have other really excellent writers on this site tell me they like what I'm doing. To the non-writers who leave reviews/comments - keep reading and tell me what you like. Filming on Series 4 is done. Who's excited?

Lester

Connor stood by the shallow creek and stared across the open expanse of grassland. The thick blades of grass were over three feet tall and rippled with the wind. He watched the gentle motion in fascination. The way the grass rolled in reaction to the breeze reminded him of an ocean wave. He shifted his attention to the foothills in the distance and further still, to the high mountain peaks which were bare, having lost the last of their snow a month ago. He estimated they were very close to the summer solstice. After the solstice, the days would become progressively shorter as the summer changed to fall.

He pulled a compass out of his jeans to check for any indication of an anomaly. He and Abby had been stuck in the past for months with no sign of any anomalies and no trace of Danny Quinn or Helen Cutter. He was beginning to lose faith that he and Abby would ever get home.

Connor was frustrated and worried about so many things. Winter would arrive in 4 or 5 months and he had no idea what to expect. Would the creatures they hunted for food migrate south, or possibly hibernate? Would he and Abby need to follow their food like nomads? How cold would it get? How long would winter last?

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a Pteranodon overhead. He crouched low to the ground and flipped his spear to an overhand grip in case he needed to throw it. Connor scanned the sky as the heavy beat of the creature's wings got louder. When it passed overhead showing no interest in him, he relaxed and twisted around to wave at Abby who stood at the edge of a cluster of pine trees 75 feet away.

She waved back, slipped her backpack over her shoulder, grabbed her spear and ran. Connor enjoyed the sight of her hair bouncing around her face and the movement of her body as she gracefully sprinted toward him.

He waited silently for her to reach him. As soon as she was close enough, he took her hand so they could run across the open grassland together, and said, "Come on, we need to get hidden as quickly as possible. I think Lester is close by."

Abby groaned when Connor mentioned the T-Rex they had nicknamed, Lester. "I wish he would find a new hunting area," she complained.

As they reached the far side of the clearing, he boosted Abby up to the first foothold of a giant tree. He strapped their spears to his pack, leaving his hands free to follow her up the massive trunk.

As they climbed, he replied, "Lester's hunting area might not be a problem."

Abby settled herself into the joint of a sturdy branch and the tree trunk as she asked, "What do you mean?"

"Fall will be coming in another couple of months. If we can't get out of here," he replied quietly, "I'm not sure how cold the weather will get."

Abby understood immediately what Connor wasn't saying. "You mean the creatures might migrate and we'll face the possibility of no food supply."

Connor shook his head at Abby's grim tone. "It won't be that bad," he promised. "We can follow the herd of duck-billed dinosaurs and find a new shelter."

She forgot what she was about to say when she spotted a T-Rex on the far side of the field. "Connor… Lester is here," she said as she pointed toward the creature. "Stay still."

Connor had come up with the name for the T-Rex after seeing it hunt. Abby had said the T-Rex seemed to swagger across the country side with an air of disdain for its fellow creatures. Connor said it reminded him of how Lester would come down the ramp from his office at the ARC. From then on, the T-Rex had been 'Lester'.

They both sat quietly as they watched the T-Rex make its way slowly through the field swinging its head from side to side as it scented the air. It came to a stop near a dense area of vegetation. Suddenly it dropped its head to the ground and snapped its jaw onto a dog-sized lizard hiding in the brush. It swallowed the creature in two bites and quickly charged the other lizards hiding nearby. The attack was fast and brutal, but a short burst of speed was all the T-Rex could manage. Soon, it wandered into the dense forest moving away from Connor and Abby.

Connor shifted from his tree branch to sit next to Abby. He leaned closer to kiss her cheek as he felt her lace her fingers with his. He quickly turned his head away and frowned as he tried to decide on the best course of action.

Abby felt the tension in Connor. She gently squeezed his hand and said, "I know you're worried. Please just tell me what you're thinking."

"O.K.," he answered slowly. "I want to keep searching the area for another month. If we don't find a way home, I'll change my focus to get us ready for winter."

Abby looked away so he wouldn't see the fear in her eyes. They had been lost for too long already. In Abby's mind, preparing for winter in the Cretaceous meant accepting their situation was permanent. She forced a smile and glanced at him, "That sounds fine."

He gently touched her chin and turned her face so he could look into her eyes, "I'm so sorry I haven't been able to get us home. I'm trying," he said while misery flowed through him at his failure.

She gave him a stern look, "Connor, it's not your fault. I don't blame you for any of this." She gave him a small smile, "Now lets finish today's search and get back to the cave, yeah?"

Connor still looked unhappy, but nodded and turned to begin the climb down.

She wrapped her arm around his shoulder to stop him. He turned to see what she wanted with a questioning look. Abby smiled and said, "Kiss me first?"

Connor grinned as he leaned into her, but instead of kissing her mouth, he rubbed his cheek against hers, nuzzling gently against her. He touched his lips carefully to her ear lobe and paused to nibble before he slowly kissed his way across her cheek. He carefully put one hand around her neck to run his fingers through her hair as he kissed each of her closed eyes. Next he lightly kissed the tip of her nose before he dipped his head to rub his nose softly against hers. Abby was so enraptured by his gentle exploration of her face that she would have fallen out of the tree if he hadn't been holding her against the tree trunk. He kept his face very close to hers with only an inch or so between their mouths as he locked eyes with her. He didn't move as he continued to gaze at her. The look in his eyes made her heart beat faster as she closed the small space between them and took the kiss she wanted.

When he felt her lips lift away from his, he slowly opened his eyes and smiled at Abby. His smile faltered when he realized she wasn't looking at him. Her wide, panicked eyes were focused downward.

Connor glanced down and involuntarily jerked at the sight of the T-Rex directly below them. The creature was craning its neck to look directly up at them. It kept perfectly still and Connor could almost feel the creature thinking. He and Abby didn't move; didn't dare to breath. Connor felt sweat run down his back as the seconds ticked by while the creature continued to stare. Finally it gave a snort as if dismissing them and turned to walk across the open field.

As the T-Rex moved on, Connor blew out a deep breath. "Well, that's not good," he said, "If Lester decides to stalk us, it will be really hard to finish the search."

Abby grimaced, "If Lester decides to stalk us, we'll be dead," she said simply.

"I think we should get back to the cave," Connor said. He was feeling very uneasy as they climbed down from the tree.

Up until now, the larger dinosaurs hadn't been too much of a problem. He and Abby stayed hidden most of the time, only taking on the smaller dinosaurs when necessary. So far, the raptors had been their biggest problem; but raptors would seem like a tea party in comparison to a T-Rex hunting them.

As soon as they reached the ground, Connor and Abby broke into a run, keeping close together. Hearts pounding, they raced toward the safety of their cave.

The T-Rex watched patiently as the two strange creatures ran away. Sooner or later it would find the perfect opportunity to attack.


	14. Trouble

Author's note: I got this one written faster than expected. If I keep coming up with ideas, I may be able to post every couple of weeks. I hope you are still enjoying my version of the Cretaceous. Please remember to leave a review/comment to help me stay motivated.

Trouble

Abby sat on the ledge outside the entrance of the cave she shared with Connor. She watched the sun reflect off the clouds of the early morning sky in sweeping strokes of crimson and orange. According to her cave-mate, an active volcano was responsible for the stunning colors.

She took a deep breath and enjoyed the rare opportunity to be alone while Connor slept. She listened quietly as the prehistoric world awakened. Bird song filled the air reminding her of home.

Suddenly the peace was shattered by roars and shrieks. She recognized the panicked calls of a herd of protoceratops. The creatures squealed in terror. When several of the squeals abruptly stopped, she knew the herd was being attacked, most likely by the T-Rex, Lester.

She sighed heavily and whispered, "I want to go home." She shook her head unhappily and picked up her newest project. She was trying to make a woven bowl using long blades of field grass. Carefully she intertwined the pieces, avoiding the sharp edges. She worked steadily until her concentration was broken by a small cry. As she watched, a tiny protoceratops stumbled into the area and collapsed.

She set her work aside and cautiously approached the wounded creature.

It looked like a miniature triceratops without the horns. The frill around its head arched gracefully back and away from its little face. From its size, Abby guessed it was less than a year old. One of its hind legs was badly gashed and a chunk of its tail was missing. It would die if left on its own. Gently she picked up the small dinosaur and carried it toward the cave.

She looked up to find Connor watching her from the entrance. His face was fierce and stern under all the facial hair; so different from the young, innocent Connor of a few months ago. Yet, despite his fierce exterior, his eyes still reflected the true man. He looked at her with love, and saw more than she intended to reveal. He gave her a deep, searching look as he asked, "What happened?"

"It's been attacked. It's badly hurt and I can't just leave it," she answered passionately. She laid the little animal down in the cave, and gave Connor a hard look, as if daring him to argue.

"Of course you can't," he said quietly. "Let me know what I can do to help."

"I need to make a poultice to pack the wounds. Can you watch her for a minute?"

Connor got down on his knees next to the creature, inspecting it closely, "Yes, I'll watch her. She's amazing. I hadn't realized the protoceratops' frill was this delicate," he said touching it carefully.

Abby worked quickly, pounding the dried herbs she had collected over the past weeks and mixing them with warm water out of her canteen to form a thick paste. She carried the poultice and canteen back to the creature, to kneel beside Connor. "O.K., hold her flank gently in case she jerks."

Connor did as instructed while Abby carefully poured water over the wounds to clean them. The small creature didn't stir.

Abby packed the poultice into the wounds then gently stroked the creature's hide as she said, "The wounds aren't as deep as I expected. I think she'll be O.K."

Connor grinned at her, "It's been a long time since I've watched you work with a wounded animal. You're amazing," he said with pride.

Abby looked pleased as she murmured, "thanks."

"Should we put a small pile of greens near its head in case it wants to eat when it wakes up?" he asked.

"That's a good idea. I'll get the greens if you'll put some water in the wooden bowl you made."

Connor grabbed the crude bowl he had gouged out of a large, broken tree limb and poured water into it.

Abby arranged the food and water near the creature's head then sat down with Connor to stroke the small animal again.

"She's so cute," Abby said, giving Connor a pleading look.

"You can't keep her," he stated flatly.

Abby moved into his lap to give him a hug. She gave him her best pout, using her wide, blue eyes to capture his attention, before she begged, "Please? She's still just a baby. I can't chuck her out on her own."

Connor kissed her forehead and gave up. "O.K., she stays until she's well."

Abby smiled smugly and gave him a quick peck of a kiss before moving out of his lap. "Thank you," she said happily. "Ready for breakfast?"

"Yep," he answered, as they both got busy with the preparation.

The morning meal would be a rare treat complete with eggs they found. Abby built up the fire, while Connor slid a thin piece of shale across one side of the fire pit. The eggs were cracked onto the hot surface while Abby added herbs and pine nuts. After a few minutes, they pulled the shale away from the heat. She put fruit and a few pieces of dried meat on their makeshift table.

They sat close together, completely at ease as they enjoyed their food. Abby took a bite of dried meat and offered the other half to Connor, holding it close to his mouth. He opened his lips to accept the meat as he gently wrapped his fingers around her wrist. He watched her expression as he slowly licked her fingertips, sucking each one into his mouth.

She closed her eyes as sensation coursed through her.

He released her hand and kissed her lips. Then he kissed her again, pulling her to him for a more intense exploration of her mouth. With a sigh, he let her go and cleared his throat, "Best breakfast I've ever had," he said happily.

Abby looked confused by the sudden change in topic. Connor had gone from kissing her to calmly discussing breakfast, but she smiled at him and answered, "Yeah, the eggs were really good."

"I wasn't talking about the food," he said as he flashed her a smile.

Abby's cheeks flushed pink as she registered his meaning.

The passion between them was getting stronger and harder to ignore. Connor tried to control the situation by constantly reminding himself that making love was off-limits until they got home. The reminders didn't help. He had wanted her for three years and finally, she seemed to want him too.

They stared at each other with longing until Abby looked away. Connor took a deep breath and blew it out, "Well, better clean up," he said as he picked up the slab of stone they had used for cooking.

Abby pulled her thoughts away from kissing Connor and looked over at the small protoceratops. "What should I call her?"

"Why don't you get to know her before you decide on a name," he suggested.

Their conversation was interrupted by a small snuffling sound, followed by the splash and thud of the wooden bowl being overturned.

The bulldog-sized protoceratops stared up at Abby inquisitively, and then turned its head to gaze shyly at Connor.

Abby contemplated the overturned bowl and the large puddle of water on the cave floor. She noticed the way the little creature watched her with clear, intelligent eyes. Finally, she grinned and announced, "I'm going to name her Trouble."

xxxxxx

Please remember to review or Trouble and I will be sad. Picture the little creature whining while I stare at you with puppy-dog eyes. Man, the things I do for reviews!


	15. Trouble Earns Her Name

Author's note: So I finally got the stories in order. No more jumping around. Yay! Also, I've written the 8 remaining stories. I just have to get them polished. I'm planning on posting every other weekend. I'm excited about the stories coming up. From Chapter 17 to the end, the stories have more creatures, more danger and more passion. To those who read and don't comment – I really want to hear from you. Steady reviewers - you keep me writing!

Trouble Earns Her Name

Trouble opened her eyes to darkness. Fear came quickly as she routed around in the dry grass beneath her and wondered why she couldn't smell her mother. Then she remembered. Her mother had died to save her.

It was dark because her new family slept under rock and earth, in a cave. Trouble missed being out in the open and she missed her mother. But her new parents had helped her when she was hurt and scared. They had given her a new life. She could hear their slow, steady breathing just a few feet away.

Trouble got to her feet and quietly made her way to her family's bedding. Her new parents were strongly bonded and always slept together. As Trouble watched, the male yawned.

Connor woke up suddenly with the strange feeling that he was being watched. He opened his eyes and found their little protoceratops, Trouble, standing next to him. He gave a small smile and looked down at Abby, who was still asleep on his chest. Sometime during the night she had thrown her leg over his hips. Carefully he reached down to lift her leg off him and scooted out from under her.

Abby mumbled in her sleep and curled into the warm spot that Connor had just vacated.

"Trouble, let's not say anything to your mum about the way she's started to put her leg over me every night, eh? It would just embarrass her," he whispered.

He patted the creature's head, grabbed his boots and walked outside as Trouble followed behind him. She ventured into the greenery and began to nibble on leaves. Connor sat down in the grass near her. He found that talking to Trouble helped him sort through things he didn't want to say to Abby. "You know, Abby and I really don't belong here," he confided, "but I'm scared we might be stuck for the rest of our lives. The anomaly opener I used to get to this place is totally dead and I can't fix it."

He patted Trouble's back. "Abby says that it's not my fault. Maybe she's right, but I still feel guilty." He let his thoughts drift before speaking again. "It's not all bad, though. I finally got Abby, didn't I? You know, she and I have never even been on a real date. If we ever get back home, I want to take her out. I want to do a proper date at a nice restaurant with candlelight, soft music and wine. Do you think she'd like that?"

Connor jumped when his question was answered.

"She'd love that," Abby said as she went down on her knees to hug him.

"How long have you been here?" he asked, hoping she hadn't heard the first part of his talk.

"Not long." Abby reached over to hug Trouble. She lightly scratched the little animal's back, and then ran her hand along Trouble's side to inspect her hind leg and tail. "She's almost healed."

"Yeah, she has a healthy appetite too," Connor said. He shook his head and smiled, "I swear she looks larger today than she did yesterday."

Trouble wandered over to a berry bush and began to eat the fruit from the branches. After she had eaten all the berries near her, she noticed a particularly juicy berry just out of reach. She pushed her head through the thorny, tangled branches until she could get to the sweet smelling piece of fruit. When she pulled back, the ridge of her frill got stuck in the limbs. Trouble tugged her head several times, but couldn't get free. She let out a sharp cry of fear and began to struggle.

Abby and Connor came to the rescue.

Abby got down on her hands and knees and put her head near Trouble's ear as she calmly said, "Its all right girl. We'll get you out."

Connor had a moment to enjoy the sight of Abby's jean-clad derrière before he groaned in frustration and looked away.

He shifted his thinking to the problem at hand as he dropped down on the other side of Trouble and began to pull the branches away from the little creature's frill.

Abby continued to speak quietly until Connor could free their pet.

"Got yourself into a bit of a fix, didn't ya?" he said as he smiled at the protoceratops.

Trouble gave him an apologetic look before she trotted off to find more food.

"Connor, let's take her down to the stream," Abby suggested.

"O.K., I can fish and we can all rinse off a bit."

"Great. I'll get our spears." Abby pulled a few berries from the thorny bush and popped them into her mouth as she turned away from Connor.

He caught her hand and pulled her to him for a quick kiss. "You taste like berries," he said as he licked his lips.

She grinned, "Do you like berries?"

"Oh yeah," he said as he tried to kiss her again.

Abby ducked out of his arms and ran toward the cave. "Be right back," she said happily.

She reappeared carrying both their spears. Trouble followed at her heels.

When they reached the stream, Trouble waded out into the shallow water to dip her head and drink. Abby stayed right beside her as she scooped water into her hands and poured it onto Trouble's back.

Connor watched them for a minute before he decided to help Abby cool off. He quietly moved behind her, dipped both hands in the water and splashed her. She let out a yell and turned to retaliate. Instantly, it became a water fight with both of them laughing and flinging water at each other.

"Truce," Connor begged as he grabbed Abby's hand.

She continued to giggle as she pushed the wet hair out of her face and hugged Connor.

"I haven't heard you laugh like that in a long time. So free..." He closed his eyes and smiled as he rocked her in his arms.

They both wiped the water out of their faces, only to be sprayed again when Trouble shook her head. They broke into fresh laughter and Abby would have sworn that Trouble silently laughed with them.

Abby sloshed her way out of the water and picked up her spear. "All right... That's enough for me. I'm going to sit on the bank."

Connor followed Abby out of the water just long enough to remove his soaked jacket and hoodie and grab his spear. Then he waded back out into the stream to fish. After half an hour, he had only managed to impale one fish.

Abby enjoyed watching the movement of the muscles in his arms and back as he tried to catch a fish. Connor's body was well showcased by the wet, black t-shirt that clung to his torso. She felt her face heat up when she realized she had been openly staring at him. Impatient with her lack of control, she got angry. She pushed her anger onto Connor, as she stood up and sharply said, "Connor, let's go. One will be enough."

"Not yet, Abby. I can get another one," he said, as he wondered what had soured her mood.

"How much longer," she asked grumpily.

"How should I know," he shot back.

As they argued, Trouble grazed, slowly making her way around Abby.

"Fine... I'm going to sit in the shade." She stepped back and turned, not realizing that Trouble was directly behind her legs. She tumbled over, landing hard on her side as Trouble darted out of the way with a small squeak.

Connor came out of the stream when he saw her fall. "Got to be more careful, Abby."

When she didn't respond, he ran to her. He could only see one side of her face, as he knelt beside her. Connor gingerly put a hand behind her neck as he noticed the rocks all around the area where she had fallen. When he gently turned her face, he saw the blood on her cheek. "Abby, can you hear me? Open your eyes."

When she moaned and winced, he checked her scalp. There was a small lump on the side of her head but no blood there. Her scraped cheek was the source of the blood.

Abby looked up at him and winced in pain. "Is Trouble all right?"

"Yeah, she's fine. She ran when you tripped over her. How do you feel?"

"Ridiculous, but O.K.," she answered as she slowly sat up. "My head and face hurt a bit."

Connor gently touched her jaw below the scraped area. "You've got a lump on your head and your cheek is scratched."

Troubled understood the serious tone of her parent's voices and tried to nosed her way in between them to get near Abby.

"It's all right girl. I know you didn't mean to hurt me," she said as she petted the protoceratops. "I should have been paying more attention."

Connor helped her to her feet. "Let's get some first aid for those scratches and that bump," he suggested as he led her back to the cave.

Later that evening, Abby rested near the fire as Trouble slept.

Connor cleaned up the remains of their fish dinner and then sat down beside her. "Feeling better?" he asked, as he looked at her with concerned eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine, but I must look terrible," she said as she fidgeted with her hair.

Connor studied her scraped and bruised cheek, her tangled hair and her tattered clothes. "Do you know what I see?" he asked.

Abby slowly shook her head, no.

He scooted closer and gave her another long look before he said, "I see beautiful hair, and gorgeous eyes the color of a stormy sky, lovely skin and lips just right for kissing. I see a little bit of stubbornness and a lot of courage and strength." He looked away feeling embarrassed, but determined to finish. "I see you," he said quietly.

Abby was speechless. She gazed into his dark-chocolate eyes and wondered how he could so easily find the soft heart she tried to keep hidden. With a lump in her throat, she answered, "I see you too, Connor."

Connor cocked his head to one side, "Is that a good thing?"

Abby gave him a tender kiss and lightly brushed her fingers over his beard to cup his cheek, as she answered, "Yeah, it's a very good thing."

xxxxxxx

Nod to Avatar. Readers – please leave a comment. Your words keep me motivated. Reviews are happiness.


	16. Moonlight Conversation

Author's Note: This is a bonus story – just because I felt like writing it. It is fluffy with a little bit more about Abby's childhood. Next week I'll get back to the final story arc that will run through mid- to late November when "Tales" will end. The stories will get a little more intense and adult. As always, I hope you enjoy this one and will leave a review.

Moonlight Conversation

Abby opened her eyes to a magical sight. It was the middle of the night and the normally pitch-black cave was filled with moon light. The bright, cold beams flooded through the cave and reflected off the nearest walls which glittered with delicate crystalline veins of quartz. Everything took on a silvery-blue cast. It was so surreal, Abby expected to see a beautiful clan of elves standing at the entrance of the cave. She smiled to herself as she realized how much of Connor's personality had rubbed off on her, but in all fairness, the Lord of the Rings movies had been fantastic.

Drawn by the beauty of the moonlight, she gently lifted her head from Connor's chest. She moved away from his body to stand up. She glanced toward the back of the cave where her little protoceratops, Trouble, was sound asleep on a bed of dried grass. Silently, she walked to the entrance of the cave to peer outside. The full moon hung low in the sky, and bathed the surrounding landscape in its silvery glow.

On the other side of the cave, Connor moved restlessly in his sleep. He was cold and the familiar weight on his chest was absent. When he reached for Abby and found her gone, he rolled onto his side. "Abby?" he called softly.

He relaxed slightly, when he heard her answer, "I'm over here."

He turned his head to see her standing at the cave entrance, illuminated by the soft light of the moon. She looked like a woodland spirit, slender and delicate; her blonde hair and pale skin turned to porcelain by the cool light.

Connor was spellbound. If he could just strap a sword to her hip and put her in a sheer, white gown, she would be his perfect fantasy woman. Connor reined in his imagination and tried to get his mind to function again. "Abby, you are so beautiful," he said quietly.

She smiled at him and held out her arms, beckoning him to join her.

He got to his feet and padded across the cave to stand close beside her. He was barefoot but still in his red hoodie and jeans. He took her into his arms and Abby rested her cheek against his chest so she could listen to his heart beat.

"What are you doing over here?" he asked.

"The moonlight woke me up," she answered softly, "It reminds me of something out of The Lord of the Rings."

"Yeah, it does, except some of the creatures here are a lot nastier than the Uruk-hai," he said seriously.

"I was thinking of the more romantic parts," she said in exasperation.

Connor tried hard not to groan out loud. He hated romantic movies and romance novels. Who acted like that, he wondered. It would never occur to him that every time he rescued Abby or put his life on the line for hers, he became exactly the kind of man the books and movies portrayed. Connor was just being himself; protecting Abby as best he could.

Love should be more sensible, he thought. Either you fancied someone or you didn't.

He realized Abby was still giving him a frown, so he tried to think romantically. "Well, this isn't exactly the House of Healing, but we are sort of like Eowyn and Faramir. You know, kind of stuck together, spending time together until…" his voice stuttered to a stop.

"Yeah, until we fell in love," she finished for him. "If I had to get stuck in the past, I'm glad I got stuck with you, Connor. I wouldn't be doing very well without you," she said, "and who knows how long it would have taken us to get together if this hadn't happened."

Connor slid down onto the floor and pulled her into his lap. "Personally, I could do without all the predators, but I know what you mean." He sat quietly for a few moments before asking, "Abby, will you tell me more about your childhood?"

"There's not much to tell."

"Come on. Please tell me something about you," he begged.

"You mean you don't already know everything from hacking into my personnel files?" she teased.

"No, all I got from that was your middle name and date of birth," he said with a chagrined look.

"Well, you know about my brother, Jack. He's the only family I have left. My mom left us when I was about six years old. Jack was so small he doesn't remember her at all," she said in a grim voice.

"Abby, you don't have to tell me anymore, if you don't want to," he said softly.

"It's O.K., it doesn't hurt so much now. I don't know why she left us. Dad refused to talk about her. My dad was a good man, but he didn't know much about raising children. He didn't share feelings very well at all, so Jack and I were kind of on our own. I mean, he fed us and put a roof over our heads and occasionally he would take us to a football game, but he wasn't too keen on showing affection. I tried to be a mom for Jack and I tried to be strong and independent for my dad. When I was nineteen, he went on a business trip and never made it back. They told us he came out of a pub, stepped off the curb and got hit by a double-decker bus. Dad's life insurance money plus a large savings account at the bank, paid for Jack and me to go to University and helped me get my first flat."

"I'm so sorry," Connor said as he hugged her tightly.

"Really, it's O.K. I mean, he did well by us with the money. There were no debts or bills we couldn't pay and we both got our educations. I just wish he had been able to share more of himself with Jack and me. I didn't ever really know him," she finished in a melancholy tone.

"I think he did something right, because you turned out fantastically," Connor said earnestly.

Abby smiled at the compliment and rubbed her cheek gently against Connor's jaw, "It's a good thing you like tom boys."

"Well, when they're beautiful, little ones like you, I do," he answered.

"You know it took me a long time to learn all the girl things that men don't think about," she said truthfully. "Luckily I had a mate named Stacy who had me over to her house often. I learned a lot from her and her mum."

"My mum taught me some stuff about women, but not much about being a man," he admitted.

"You've figured it out just fine," she said in a reassuring manner. "Does your mum live in London?"

"No, she's in Blackburn, Lancashire," Connor replied. "Would you like to go visit her with me when we get back home?"

Abby heard the emphasis he placed on the word, _when_, and knew he was being positive for her sake. "You want me to meet your mum?" she asked lightly.

Connor suddenly realized he had gotten himself into a conversation that could turn out badly. He didn't want to push Abby. She said she loved him, but he still worried. What would happen if they got out of the Cretaceous and back to their real lives? Would everything they shared be pushed aside? Would Abby pretend it had never happened?

Desperately he tried to get out an intelligent, but safe response, "Well… sure. She loves to meet all my mates. Of course, we don't have to go. I mean... it's not a big deal. I just felt… Oh, forget it," he said miserably.

Abby listened with her mouth hanging open. Connor had just reverted back to the way he talked to her before their stay in the Cretaceous. It was cute to see him this flustered, but she didn't want him to doubt her feelings. "Connor, we are not going to forget it. I am not just your mate, I'm your girlfriend. I want to meet your mum and I would love to go with you to see her."

Connor took a moment to process her words before he said, "Oh." His confidence restored, he grinned and said, "You're the only girl I've ever invited home. She'll be thrilled to meet you," he confided. "She'll probably drag out all those baby pictures you wanted to see."

Abby stood up with a yawn and reached down to take Connor's hand, "That's right. You said you'd show me yours, if I showed you mine," she said with a laugh.

Connor blushed but still managed to look up at her with a wicked grin, "That's exactly what I have in mind as soon as we get home. Then we'll go look at the pictures," he said while giving her a wink.

Abby stared down at him, wide-eyed. She still wasn't used to sexy banter from Connor, but she decided she liked it.

He stood up and tugged Abby toward him. "Dance with me," he requested.

"I'd love to," she answered shyly.

Connor wrapped his arms loosely around her waist and smiled down at her. He thought back to his late teens when he had loved everything Tolkien and a phrase popped into his mind. He bent close to her ear and whispered, "Im meleth le."

Abby looked up at him, "What?"

"Its Elvish. You know, the language of the Elves? It means I love you in Elvish," he stammered.

Abby smirked, "That is the nerdiest thing I've ever heard you say."

Connor's felt like a complete fool. He knew better than to try to be romantic. It was all his stupid fantasy's fault… He flashed again on the image of Abby in a gossamer gown with a sword at her hip. All she needed were some delicate elf ears peeking through her blonde hair, and Connor would go up in flames. He banished the fantasy and told himself it was time to grow up.

He forced himself to look into her eyes, planning to apologize. The soft, dreamy look on her face stunned him into silence. She gave him a small smile to take the sting from her comment and cupped his cheek with her hand. Connor couldn't find a single word to express his feelings, so he closed his mouth and smiled back at her.

When she sighed happily and laid her head against his shoulder, he sighed too. Maybe he _could_ do romance, he thought in surprise.

Abby smiled to herself as she rested her head against Connor. His three silly little words had melted her heart into a warm pudding. She didn't understand how he always managed to get to her. Perhaps it was because, on the rare occasions when he expressed himself, he was totally sincere.

The moment was interrupted when Trouble woke up and shuffled toward them wanting to be part of the game. She circled around their legs and gave a small cry. Abby reached down to pet the creature, and then turned her attention back to Connor.

She looked into his dark, compelling eyes, content to be in his arms as they swayed in the moonlight.

xxxxxx

O.K., what do you think? I like Connor's fantasy image of Abby. Readers – I couldn't figure out how to ask you to review in Elvish, but won't you leave a comment anyway?


	17. Family

Author's Note: Reviewers – 107 reviews of my "Tales" so far! Thank you so very much. I hope you keep reading and keep reviewing. You're all fantastic!

Family

The protoceratops grazed happily on the shrubs and grasses of the field. The sun was shining and the area was quiet except for the drone of insects and the small sounds her family made. Everything was good, but the protoceratops knew better than to drop her guard. She constantly checked to make sure her family hadn't disappeared. She had lost her first family to a T-Rex attack and didn't want to take any chances with her second family. Both the male and female protected her, helped her find food and gave her affection. They called her Trouble, using happy voices, which made it a good name as far as she was concerned. Trouble lightly nudged her head against her human mother's jeans in a show of affection, and then turned to look at her human father across the clearing.

Connor sat on a boulder with his spear in his right hand as he protectively watched Abby and their pet, Trouble. He kept his eyes focused on the edge of the clearing and listened carefully for any approaching creatures. The longer he and Abby were in the Cretaceous, the more the predators attacked. He supposed the strangeness had worn off. The creatures had grown used to them and had begun to consider them food. He had to be constantly alert for attacks by the raptors, the small but vicious velociraptors and most recently by the T-Rex that had taken a strong interest in them.

Connor knew he needed to come up with a way to kill the T-Rex before it killed them, but so far he hadn't found a workable plan.

He continued to worry, but managed to smile at Abby as she gathered fruit on the far side of the clearing.

Abby gave him a slight smile, and wondered if Connor had noticed how often she stopped to gaze at him. Her physical attraction to him kept getting stronger and she didn't know how to control it. She felt foolishly shy, yet deeply tempted to be with him. Every look he gave her made Abby's heart beat faster. His scent, a delicious mixture of leather, sweat and something uniquely Connor, constantly distracted her. He smelled good, in an earthy, elemental way that stirred up all of Abby's feminine instincts.

She frowned to herself and wondered how to tell Connor what she was feeling. She tried to focus on picking fruit, but couldn't stop herself from glancing at him. Abby decided he looked hungry. She picked up a piece of fruit and tossed it to Connor, unaware that her sensual thoughts were reflected in the look she gave him.

Connor caught the fruit with his left hand and took a bite. He glanced at Abby and did a double take. There was something about the smile on her face, something seductive. It made him think of sex. Of course, everything about Abby made him think of sex. He really, really wanted to make love with her. Lately, he kept having a fantasy about grabbing her, throwing her over his shoulder and dragging her back to the cave to make love until they were both exhausted.

To make matters worse, he now knew he could change his fantasy into a reality. Earlier in the day, he had found three condoms in a small, overlooked, interior pocket of his backpack. Connor didn't have the slightest idea why Becker would have put condoms into the survival pack. Maybe military types just liked to be prepared. Whatever the reason, he was glad to have them. Now he just had to figure out how to bring it up with Abby.

They had gotten so much closer than he ever dreamed possible, but was she ready for a new level of intimacy? He honestly didn't know… She always seemed to enjoy his kisses and his touch, and she did throw her leg over him in her sleep, but was that enough for her? Surely, he shouldn't have to think about it this much. Connor argued with himself until the cautious side of his personality decided that maybe it was too soon.

He became aware that he had been daydreaming when a large, ostrich-like creature walked into the area followed by several more. He hadn't even heard them approach. If he didn't get his mind off sex, he would get them both killed. Angry at his thoughts, he stood up and walked to the edge of the clearing to scan the surrounding forest for danger. He decided the condoms would stay in the backpack until the time was right for both him and Abby.

Unaware of Connor's internal struggle, Abby continued to work as she glanced at the large birds. Their movements were slow and calm, so she ignored them and kept picking fruit. When her basket was full, she turned to Trouble and gave her a pat. "Come on girl, time to go," she said as she nudged the animal toward Connor. Trouble was growing quickly under Abby's care and now stood as tall as the pockets on Abby's jeans.

The birds continued to wander through the clearing, as Abby prepared to leave. Suddenly, all the birds stopped moving. They raised their heads in unison and looked behind them. The lead bird gave a sharp call and began to run. Immediately, all the other birds followed, squawking in fear. Trouble looked around in confusion and galloped along with them.

Abby saw her pet panic and run into the forest. She dropped the basket of fruit she had been holding, grabbed her spear and sprinted after the protoceratops, as she yelled, "Trouble, come back here."

Connor watched the commotion from the far side of the clearing as the birds, Trouble and Abby all disappeared into the woods. "Abby, wait," he yelled.

It would have been funny except for the three waist-high, velociraptors that raced through the clearing in pursuit.

When Connor yelled, one of the three veered away from the chase and turned toward him. He groaned as he realized he would have to kill it before he could go after Abby. His spear wasn't much good against velociraptors, they were extremely fast and difficult to stab. It was easier to whack them with a sturdy branch. He looked around and picked up a good-sized piece of wood while he waited for the creature to approach.

When the velociraptor realized its prey wasn't going to run, it slowed down.

Connor gave an annoyed growl, "Come on. I can't stand here all day. Abby might need my help."

When the creature stopped in confusion, Connor gave it a solid hit with the branch and then dashed into the woods to find Abby. He ran full out, as he jumped over fallen logs and dodged low-hanging vines, until he lost the trail. He slowed to a stop, pushed the hair out of his eyes and studied the ground. "Abby is so much better at tracking," he complained. "Come on, show me the way!" He searched around until he spotted Trouble's tracks, then he dashed forward again.

Deeper in the woods, Trouble trotted to a stop. The ostrich-like birds had quickly out-run her and disappeared into the dense trees.

Abby caught up with her a few minutes later, "Trouble. Come on, girl. It's O.K."

Trouble shook her head and lowered her nose to the ground as she nervously stamped her feet.

Abby watched her pet and tried to understand what was wrong. "Lowered head, shifting weight… Trouble you look like you're ready to fend-off an attack," she murmured. Instantly her eyes went wide and she swung around to find two velociraptors running toward her. She looked around in frustration, "They're too fast for the spear. Where's a tree branch when you need one? Connor always seems to find them."

She positioned herself directly in front of her pet and crouched into a fighting stance as the velociraptors approached. The first one ran at her, mouth open to expose razor-sharp teeth. Abby waited until the creature was extremely close before she jumped up and kicked it back. The second creature came at her from the side but Abby swung her leg around and landed a strong hit to the velociraptor's jaw, sending it sprawling into the first.

Trouble squealed in fear as the small predators got back up and shrieked in anger.

The velociraptors stepped away from each other, and tried to circle around Abby, growling and snapping. If they managed to get behind her, she would be torn to shreds. She held her spear across the front of her body, planning to use both ends to keep the velociraptors away. She stepped to one side and swung her spear in a fast, wide arc, right into the side of the nearest creature's head. Immediately, she kicked out again, and knocked the creature completely off its feet. The second velociraptor charged forward, then quickly backed away as Abby turned to face it.

At that moment, Connor bounded into the area, his spear in one hand and a tree branch in the other. He watched the two velociraptors carefully as he yelled, "All right you two, give it up. You're out-matched."

The creatures must have agreed because they took one look at Connor and raced away in search of easier prey.

Connor bent over to catch his breath as he looked at Abby, "You O.K.?"

"Yeah, we're fine."

"You had everything under control, didn't you?" he asked sheepishly as he tried to calm down.

"Maybe," she said, not wanting to tell him how scared she had been, "but I'm still glad to see you," she admitted.

"Thanks," he said. When he realized how worn out she looked, he pulled her to him for a hug. Abby buried her face in his hair and breathed him in, allowing his nearness to soothe her. He gave her a quick kiss and put his arm around her shoulder, keeping her close to his side as he said, "Let's go get the basket of fruit and walk back to the cave."

"Good plan," she said as her arm found its way around Connor's waist. Wearily she looked at her pet, "Come on, Trouble, let's go home."

Trouble followed her family out of the woods. She didn't really understand their actions. Her human mother had run with her into the forest and was forced to face an attack, but she had also gone out of her way to shield Trouble from the peril. The male had come after them, running toward danger instead of away from it, as a normal herd member would have done.

Trouble's intelligent mind stored the memory of how they had stood between her and possible death. If she could talk, she would simply say, family protects.

xxxxxx

Please leave a comment. Did the action flow well? Could you see it in your mind? There's more action to come and I want to make it as exciting for readers as possible. Any suggestions on writing action are most welcome.


	18. The Ambush  Part 1

Author's note: This chapter got so long that I had to divide it into two sections. The good news is you are getting the first part a week sooner than I intended to post. The bad new is… well you'll see. Please review. Pretty please?

The Ambush: Part 1

Connor wiped the sweat out of his eyes and straightened his body to ease the ache in his lower back. He tilted his head to the right, then to the left, and listened to the slight pops of his spine as the bones realigned. He felt the tight muscles of his neck and shoulders loosen as he stretched them out. The sun beat down on him, but he ignored it. He couldn't stop working until his trap was complete. For the past week, he had been trying to loosen and destabilize the large boulders on the cliff high above the waterfall. He had even brought out his prized Bowie knife, the only modern blade in his survival backpack, to help make the work easier.

The trap was for the T-Rex they called Lester. The huge creature was the most dangerous predator in the Cretaceous and it had become focused on hunting them. If he didn't act soon, he, Abby and their pet Trouble, would end up as T-Rex chow.

By tomorrow he would be ready to lure the T-Rex into his trap. If everything went according to plan, the beast would step out onto the unstable area, the rocks would break loose and the T-Rex would fall to its death. There was no way to test the trap, but Connor felt fairly sure he had found the key stress points that would cause the whole area to collapse.

He took a deep breath and went back to work, knowing that Abby and Trouble were down the hill keeping protective watch for him.

Connor had just finished digging the dirt and small stones out from around the base of the most precarious boulder when he saw Abby running up the hill with Trouble beside her. It surprised him to see Trouble from a distance. She looked huge next to Abby. The protoceratops had reached her mature size. She was six feet long from nose to tail, and about three feet wide. Yet, despite her size, she still had an extremely gentle and loving nature.

The first few days of digging, Connor had used Trouble to help shift some of the rocks, but as the area became destabilized, it was too dangerous to use her. So Connor had suggested that Abby and Trouble keep watch on the path down the hill, so that he could work without fear of a creature catching him unaware.

Abby had almost reached the top of the hill when she called softly, "Connor… Lester is coming this way."

"Oh, no. Not now," he pleaded. "Abby, take Trouble and get out of here."

"Too late," she said as she watched Lester come up the hill.

Connor felt the ground shake with every step the T-Rex took, as it moved toward them.

Trouble caught the scent of the great beast as the wind changed direction. She let out a low cry of fear and bolted into the bushes in terror.

As Lester moved toward them, Connor picked up his spear and knife and tried to get to Abby's side, but it was too late. The T-Rex stood between them, swinging its head from side to side to keep them both in view.

They were trapped. Lester had them cornered. The sound of the waterfall thundered far below them as they waited to see what the monster would do. The huge creature let out a bellowing roar and turned to Abby. She jabbed her spear up into its mouth and then quickly pulled it back before Lester could break it. The T-Rex felt the sting in its mouth and decided to take his prey down before eating it. He reared back and used his massive jaw to knock Abby away like an annoying insect.

Connor watched helplessly, as Abby was thrown aside. "No!" he yelled.

The fear he felt for Abby's safety nearly swamped him. Almost before he could register it, the fear was replaced by anger so strong that poured through him like lava. He ran to the T-Rex and used his knife to cut a long gash in its flank. With a screech of pain, Lester rounded on him, giving Abby a chance to roll out of the way. Connor jumped back and quickly ran to the edge of the rocks, trying to lure Lester onto the unstable boulders.

The T-Rex stopped and studied the area. Connor could almost see it thinking of ways to get to him without going over the edge. The huge creature paced back and forth, keeping its distance, as it surveyed the situation.

Connor didn't want to give Lester time to think, so he began to throw rocks as he shouted, "Come on. Come and get me."

Abby cried out when the T-Rex lunged forward to snap at Connor. The huge creature continued to advance until Connor was forced to stand at the very edge of the cliff. He backed his way carefully along the rocks, keeping his attention on Lester. The T-Rex moved closer while Connor prayed for the rocks to give way. Lester lowered his head and opened his huge jaws in anticipation of tearing into Connor. Time seemed to slow down, as Connor glanced over his shoulder at the long drop into the pool below. He had two choices; he could attempt a dive into the water or he could let Lester eat him. If he dived, he might live, but Abby would be left to face the T-Rex alone. If he kept Lester busy, Abby could get away. Decision made, Connor braced himself for the pain.

Trouble watched from the bushes, too afraid to move. Her family was in danger from the same monster that had killed her true mother and injured her. She saw the female get knocked aside and the male get trapped. She didn't know what to do. The T-Rex was going to kill them.

Trouble remembered her first day in the cave. She had been hurt and scared, until she felt the gentle touch of the female and heard the soothing sound of the male's voice. She remembered spending happy days of peace and plenty with them. She also remembered how her family had come to protect her from the velociraptors. She trembled at the sight of the huge T-Rex, but she couldn't stay hidden while her family died. She knew what she needed to do.

Trouble charged out of the greenery…

tbc

XXXXXXX

I'm so sorry! The chapter really got out of hand, length-wise. All I can say is I really love Part 2 and it will be up next Friday. Please do leave a comment.


	19. The Ambush Part 2

Author's note: Warning: Strong "T" heading toward "M" for mature themes. As promised, this is the second half of last week's chapter. Recap: The T-Rex showed up before Connor's trap was ready. It threw Abby aside, and Connor is about to get eaten…

The Ambush: Part 2

Trouble charged out of the greenery. Lester paid no attention to the protoceratops as she ran straight at him. The T-Rex stayed focused on Connor, as it prepared for the kill. Trouble clamped her teeth onto the beast's bleeding flank, biting deeply into the already torn flesh. With a roar of surprise and pain, the enraged T-Rex turned to face her.

Trouble's mouth and nose were coated with the monster's blood as she danced away from Lester's sharp teeth. She circled around the creature until she stood between it and Abby. Trouble raised her head in challenge and gave the fiercest growl she could manage, to let Lester know she would fight.

The confused T-Rex pivoted toward her, pulling its injured leg out of the way as it turned. Lester had never been attacked by a protoceratops before. Memory told him they were timid creatures and easy to kill, but not this one. The actions of this protoceratops made no sense to him.

When Trouble bolted forward again, Lester instinctively pulled his bleeding leg further back. The T-Rex watched the foolish protoceratops charge toward him. He would kill her quickly. Before he could act, the ground disappeared from beneath him and he fell backward. As the T-Rex tumbled over the crumbling edge, Trouble's forward momentum carried her over with him. Connor tried to scramble out of the way but was also knocked over the side by Lester's flailing tail.

Abby slowly got up off the ground and stared at the empty space where Connor had been standing. Her mind and heart froze in disbelief. He couldn't be gone! She stumbled to the edge and forced herself to look down.

"Little help, please," he said as he clung to the rocky cliff.

"Connor, hold on," she begged. Her heart, so cold and silent when Connor fell, began to beat wildly. She got flat on the ground and grabbed his arm. He used his other hand and a tiny foothold in the rock wall to boost himself back up. Once he was on solid ground, Abby looked him over carefully to assure herself that he wasn't hurt. After she was satisfied that he was O.K., she stepped back. She resisted the urge to hold him, fearing she would shatter into an emotional wreck if she touched him.

Connor seemed to understand what Abby was feeling. He made no attempt to embrace her. Instead, they both turned to peer over the ledge.

Far below them, the T-Rex floundered in the deep water. His injured leg had been further hurt in the fall and his tiny forearms couldn't keep his massive body afloat. The huge creature roared in anger and struggled in vain, as it sank beneath the surface of the pool. The water continued to churn for several minutes before it became placid again.

Satisfied that the monster was dead, Abby and Connor anxiously scanned the water for any sign of their protoceratops. They both breathed a sigh of relief when Trouble's frilled head emerged from the pool. The protoceratops walked out of the water, shook herself like a wet dog and looked around in surprise. She was alive and undamaged. She turned her head upward to give a triumphant cry. To Trouble's surprise, her cry was answered.

A herd of protoceratops emerged from the brush and walked slowly toward her. The lead animal came forward to scent her. Satisfied, it greeted her by gently touching its nose to her own. She was back with her true family.

"Connor, look. The herd has accepted her," Abby said in excitement.

As the herd disappeared into the forest, Trouble hesitated. She looked up one last time at her human protectors. She happily turned in a small circle and called out in excitement, before she slowly trotted away. Abby smiled, even though she was sad at the loss of her pet.

"I'm sorry, Abby," Connor said as he watched Trouble follow the herd into the forest.

"Yeah, I'll miss her a lot, but this is the best thing that could have happened," she replied, trying to convince herself.

Connor turned away from the ledge and led the way back to their cave. For the first time in a very long time, he didn't take Abby's hand. He felt jittery and unsettled. His elemental survival instincts had thrown a cocktail of chemicals into his system. All the fear, rage and savagery that helped him during his fight with the T-Rex were still pumping adrenalin into his body.

Abby was also riding a high. She felt like a victorious warrior-woman. They had fought and won, but she couldn't calm down. Facing the T-Rex with Connor had thrown her body into overdrive.

As they reached the entrance to their cave, Connor turned and gave her a look so hot that it sent Abby reeling. He didn't dare touch her as he quietly said, "I want you."

Abby couldn't turn away from the dangerous look in his eyes, couldn't ignore his softly spoken words.

He waited, unmoving as she looked at him.

Emotions ran through her as she tried to think rationally, but it was useless. She wanted him too. She threw herself into his arms to kiss him frantically. As he kissed her back, she felt her legs go weak.

Connor couldn't believe she was in his arms. He had given her the chance to say no, and had fully expected her to refuse him, but she hadn't. She was giving herself to him. More than that, she was actively participating, driving him crazy with her hands and mouth. He abandoned himself to Abby's fiery kiss.

A fleeting thought went through his mind… this wasn't how he had imagined making love with Abby for the first time. The sensations were much more intense than the gentle, teasing kisses and touches they had previously shared. Their love play had always been warm and comforting, like the flame of a candle. But the flame had become a blowtorch, burning hot and dangerous, like a forest fire.

Abby couldn't stop touching him. He meant so much to her and she had nearly lost him once again. She needed to make him understand how much she loved him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him tightly against her. Suddenly impatient, she glued her mouth to his and forcibly removed his jacket.

Connor felt all the violent emotions generated by his fight with the T-Rex transmute into desire for her. _Mine_, he thought fiercely. His primitive instincts urged him to dominate and possess her, but those foreign desires were tempered by his love for her. He had waited so long. He would not allow it to become a mere physical exchange. Abby mattered too much. He wanted to forge them into one heart, one soul and one body. Tonight would be about giving everything… about showing Abby how much he loved her.

Connor ran his open mouth along Abby's neck. He felt her shiver as her hands moved restlessly up and down the back of his t-shirt. He paused to breath and was overwhelmed by the yearning reflected in her eyes. Reverently, he caressed her cheek while he kissed a path along her jaw-line. He felt Abby tug his t-shirt out of his jeans and slip her hands onto his stomach, to run them along his ribs and up to his chest. He groaned at the feel of her hands on him but stepped back, wanting to get some of her clothes off, before he totally lost his mind. As he pulled off her jacket, his lips found hers again, tasting and nipping. Her top quickly followed, leaving her in a plain, white bra and jeans. Connor found the bra with the tiny bow between her breasts to be the most arousing thing he had ever seen. As she stood before him, he hesitated, thinking of the condoms he had found, but unwilling to go further until he was positive that Abby was ready. He closed his eyes, seeking a final bit of self-control.

When he opened his eyes again, Abby could see all of Connor's feelings reflected on his expressive face. He had opened his heart completely, trusting her to accept him.

"Abby?" he asked, speaking her name as both a question and a plea.

In that moment, Abby fell in love with him all over again. Her eyes were deep blue pools as she looked up at him. Gently she placed her palm against his beard-covered cheek to caress him, as she answered, "Yes."

Connor released the breath he had been holding. He felt his heart pound joyfully at Abby's answer. His dark eyes lit up with love and desire just before his mouth captured hers.

The sheer excitement of the kiss caught them both by surprise. Abby made a small, sexy sound of need as Connor pulled her closer. As his hands roamed across her softness, their bodies began to tremble.

Abby placed quick, hungry kisses across his face as she whispered, "I love you."

Connor stilled at her softly spoken words. With a sincerity and sweetness that warmed Abby's heart, he replied, "I love you too, Abby."

"Show me," she encouraged with a sultry look.

His expression turned intense as he moved even closer to her, bring them heart to heart. As anticipation pulsed through them both, Connor's unsteady hands moved to the button of her jeans.

xxxxxx

Oh my goodness. Did it suddenly get warm in here? Tomorrow is my birthday. If one of you would like to pop over to the U.K. and wrap up Andrew for me, I'd be most appreciative. Kidding – I don't want Hannah to kick my butt. However, a review would make a fine present. If you have been reading and haven't commented, please hit review! Steady reviewers – was it good?


	20. Love and Rose Hips

Author's Note: This is the fluffy "morning after" chapter. I'm so glad this chapter is fluffy. Life is kicking my butt right now. Steady reviewers – bless you. Readers who like my story and haven't left a comment – I'm begging. Hit review and say something! It doesn't hurt I promise. For those who like action/danger… more is coming.

Love and Rose Hips

Connor opened his eyes to the early morning light and immediately looked down at Abby. She was sound asleep on his chest with her face tipped up toward him. He tilted his head to study her in love-struck wonder. Her features were so delicate… the way her eyebrows arched, the length of her eyelashes and the beauty of her mouth, all fascinated him. The feel of her warm, soft skin against his, thrilled him.

He thought about taking her into his arms and kissing her awake, but decided against it. She needed her sleep after the way they had happily exhausted each other last night. With a satisfied smile, he gently untangled himself from her and stood up. He found his jeans, stepped into them and padded barefoot across the cave to look outside and think about the night before. He leaned against the wall, and enjoyed the feel of the cool, smooth rock on his bare back and shoulders. Crossing his arms over his chest, he let his mind wander.

He felt fantastic, but still couldn't process the fact that he and Abby had become lovers. It seemed like a dream. It had been so urgent. As necessary as breathing… like fireworks on New Year's Eve… all rich taste and incredible sensation… ending in pleasure so extreme that he couldn't find words to describe it.

Maybe fighting and killing the T-Rex had precipitated the sex, but he knew that even without that dangerous battle, he and Abby would have become lovers. After finding the condoms, the temptation was just too strong.

Making love with Abby had been so much more than he expected… so different from what he had known before. Of course, what he had known before only took a few seconds to catalog.

There had been a couple of hook-ups with University girls who had no actual interest in dating him. They had seemed satisfied with the sex, but he had felt cheated and let down by the one night stands. After that, he had found a female pen pal in a foreign country. She was nice, but you couldn't kiss a pen pal. Then Abby had come along and stolen his heart. He had spent years waiting and hoping she would notice him as more than a friend. Next had come Caroline. It still hurt to think of her. She had pretended to enjoy his kisses and he had believed her. The pain and disappointment of her lies bothered him more than he admitted. After Caroline, he had begun to wonder if there was something wrong with him.

Connor grinned to himself as he thought about his relationship with Abby. Nope, nothing wrong with me, he thought. Last night had been incredible. Their first time had been intense… almost desperate, as instinct drove them to become one. Afterward, they had used the rest of the night to explore one another and spin out the pleasure as much as possible. Connor had concentrated on giving Abby a bliss-filled night. He hoped he had succeeded. For his part, he knew it was an experience he would never forget.

Now he understood why his past encounters had disappointed him. Being in love made all the difference. His night with Abby had shown him how it should be and had felt so outrageously right that he wanted to shout with happiness. He was pretty sure Abby felt the same way. He remembered how she had cried out his name as the intense pleasure took them.

Inside the cave, Abby opened her eyes feeling deliciously, completely satisfied. She saw Connor leaning against the wall and felt a jolt of desire go through her. Lord, he looked good.

She stretched and looked around for her clothes. She thought she saw her knickers on the far side of the fire pit. With a shrug she grabbed the first article of clothing she could reach which happened to be Connor's red hoodie. She slipped it on, stood up and went to join him.

"Morning," she said, giving him a shy grin.

He let his eyes track down her body, enjoying the sight of her in his hoodie. Then he noticed the love bites along the side of her neck. It was a shocking reminder of how wild he had been. He didn't know whether to feel guilty or smug about leaving his mark on her. But since she was smiling at him and seemed O.K., he decided not to bring it up. He couldn't stop smiling as he answered, "Morning, Abby."

He ran his hands down her sides and gripped her hips to pull her against him as he kissed her. The feel of her sent fresh need coursing through him. Hours of love making last night hadn't diminished his desire. He wanted her again. Gently, he kissed the marks along her neck, silently apologizing for being too rough.

Abby smiled lazily and closed her eyes as Connor's mouth moved along her sensitive neck. It was so good between them. The first time had been amazing, but Abby had put it down to the fact that it had been years since she had a physical relationship. When the rest of the night proved to be just as extraordinary, Abby knew it was all Connor. Her body seemed to be tuned to his, responding easily. She craved his touch and was impressed by his endless reserves of energy. His complete focus had been on loving her, and Abby had reveled in his attention. Years of sexual tension had been satisfied. Although from the way Connor was kissing her neck, Abby was certain he was ready for more. If only there was a chemist shop nearby stocked with condoms, she thought. She laid her head against the warm, smooth skin of his chest and stroked her fingers down his bicep.

Connor felt relaxed and giddy all at the same time. Still, a tiny seed of self-doubt made him ask, "Abby, was it all right for you?"

Abby was a little surprised that he felt the need to ask but quickly reassured him. "It was perfect." When he still looked unsure, she rolled her eyes and admitted, "Last night was amazing. You hit the mark, three, no make that four times. That has never happened for me before."

Connor's dimple appeared as he gave her a self-satisfied grin, "Oh, really?"

"Yes, really," she replied happily. "If we were at home, I'd bring tea and biscuits back to bed. We'd eat and talk and then make love again."

"Making love again would be good," he said hopefully.

"Connor… it would be good, but I don't think we should, you know, do it again."

"Oh, right. I agree. There's too much risk for you. If I hadn't found those condoms, I never would have made love with you last night," he stammered.

"I know, but I'm awfully glad you did find them. Last night relieved a lot of… stress," she said as she watched his face carefully.

"Happy to help," he teased.

They stared at each other. Their smiles slowly faded as Abby's eyes flicked down to his lips.

Connor reacted instantly. He grabbed her arms and pulled her up onto her toes to kiss her hungrily. Abby closed her eyes and melted against him. When they eventually pulled apart, breathing heavily, he took both of her hands into his and looked into her eyes. "You know if you did get pregnant, it would be all right… I'd protect you and the baby," he promised.

"I know you would, but childbirth without doctors or a hospital? What if something went wrong?" When Connor looked truly horrified, she relented. "I'm sorry to scare you. I want us to be lovers, but I want us to be home where a baby would be a choice and where I wouldn't have to worry about being eaten while pregnant."

Connor gave her a wicked grin, "Well…"

Connor!" she laughed as her face went bright red. She turned away to pick up her clothes. "Why don't we get dressed and go hunting," she asked while she waited for her blush to cool down.

They spent the rest of the morning trying to hunt, but Connor was more interested in holding Abby than actually hunting. Despite their intention to make last night a one-time lapse, he couldn't stop touching her. He loved her so much. Frustrated, he pulled her to him, closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers. "I think last night is going to make my life a living hell," he said matter-of-factly.

Abby jerked back, "What does that mean?" she demanded angrily.

"I didn't know what I was missing, did I? Now that we've made love, it's going to be really difficult to keep my hands off you," he explained.

"Oh. Sorry I got angry," she said with a grin.

Connor didn't smile back. He watched her for a minute while he worked out what he wanted to say.

Abby could tell by his serious expression, that whatever he was about to say was important. She waited patiently, letting him take his time.

Finally, Connor locked eyes with her and said, "I want you to know that last night was the best night of my life."

Abby's heart gave a little jolt. Connor had gotten under her skin and into her heart. It still scared and thrilled her.

When she smiled and looked away, Connor changed the subject. "I think we should turn back. I don't think we're going to find anything today. We'll hunt again tomorrow," he said.

As he turned away from her, she reached out to take his hand, interlacing her fingers with his. He looked down at their joined hands and gave her fingers a gentle squeeze.

Abby was feeling overwhelmed by the events of the past 24 hours, so she tried to move the conversation to other topics. She noticed a plant along the path with light pink flowers. She moved closer and saw the sharp, dense thorns covering the sturdy canes. "Connor, this is some type of rose bush. See the swelling at the base of the spent flowers?"

"Yeah. What are they?"

Those are rose hips, or will be in a few more weeks. They're edible and contain a lot of vitamin C."

"You know, I bet Trouble would like them," he said with a bittersweet smile.

"Trouble likes everything," Abby answered, feeling sad at the loss of her pet. "Wasn't she amazing against the T-Rex?"

"She saved both our lives," he agreed. "Maybe we'll see her again, sometime."

"Maybe… but its more likely that she'll find a mate and start to have babies," Abby said with a grin.

Connor tugged Abby to his side as he stared into her eyes, "Finding a mate is pretty important."

She looked back at him, trying to find the right words. Suddenly embarrassed, she looked away as a smile bloomed on her face, "Yeah, it is."

Connor noticed the beautiful glow of her skin and the smile on her face. It reminded him of how she looked while they made love. He still couldn't believe she was his. Proudly, he looped his arm over her shoulder. When he felt Abby slide her arm around his waist, he sighed in contentment.

They continued to walk, both feeling happy and hopeful, while the sunshine warmed their hair and skin. They were new lovers, enjoying the afterglow of their passion. Everything else could wait.

xxxxxx

A BIG thank you to all the folks who have put me on "Author Alert" and who have made this a "Favorite Story." Again, if you decide to leave a review (just hit the button below), I'll be thrilled! Reviews bring confidence and help me write!


	21. The Bad Day

Author's Note: Thanks to all the wonderful people who reviewed the last several chapters. It means more to me than you can know. I sure hope you enjoy all the highs and lows that are coming… Keep reading and reviewing! Also, you may want to set up an alert for this story, as I'm about to get really busy. I expect to have the next chapter up in two weeks (crosses fingers).

The Bad Day

The day was overcast, but very warm. Every creature in the area seemed to be on edge. Even the normally placid herd of duck-billed dinosaurs was restless. Connor and Abby cautiously skirted the edge of the herd moving slowly to prevent a stampede. The duck-bills stamped their feet and nervously called to one another. Two of the large males charged each other in irritation, then went back to their grazing.

The sounds of fights and death screams could be heard from all directions. Something was terribly wrong.

"Connor, I don't like the way the animals are acting today," Abby said as she watched the duck-bills.

"I know. Its weird," he answered as he tried to keep Abby as close to his side as possible. "Maybe there's another T-Rex in the area."

"Maybe," she said doubtfully. "More likely it's a big storm moving in. The animals at the zoo always got restless when the weather changed."

"O.K., keep watch on the sky, but I really want to finish this search," he insisted.

"I agree with you. It feels like we're running out of time," she answered softly.

Connor looked at her and wished he could say something cheerful, but he felt exactly the same. Time was running out. Soon they would be forced to give up the searches and prepare for winter.

Abby searched the ground carefully, hoping for a clue that another human being might have passed through the area. She heard a rustling in a nearby tree and stopped to check it out. Connor was at her side instantly, holding his spear ready while he looked up into the tree.

"Its safe. It's a family of some kind of marsupial," she said in relief.

"They still have teeth," Connor said as he watched them suspiciously. The creatures stared at him with their large, bulbous eyes before scurrying off. Connor didn't relax until the small creatures had moved through several more trees.

The drab, grey sky seemed to weigh them down as they continued to walk. The further they went, the more barren and depressing the land became. Ahead of them, the ground sloped into a natural bowl-shaped valley. They walked down the slope and continued into the valley. Abby crouched down to examine the tracks she noticed in the dirt. "Something small came through here after the last rain, maybe a velociraptor," she guessed.

Connor rubbed his forehead as he tried to will away the slight headache he felt developing. "I think you're right about a storm," he said. "My head is starting to throb."

"Sorry," she said with a sympathetic look. "Come on, let's get moving. The sooner we get this done, the sooner you can rest."

As they continued to walk, Abby noticed how quiet it seemed around them. She was about to mention it to Connor, when a sudden sharp stomach cramp grabbed her attention. "Connor, I feel sick," she said as she clutched her stomach and waited for the feeling to pass.

"We've both eaten the same food. Maybe you're getting a virus?" he suggested, but his mind jumped to another conclusion. What if Abby had morning sickness? A slight smile tugged at his lips while the idea took shape in his thoughts. Joy poured through him, followed quickly by surprise. He wanted to be a dad! Maybe here and now wasn't the best idea, but still…

Abby's voice pulled him out of his reverie. "I don't know what's wrong with me, but I want to get to the cave and lie down."

"O.K., just a little further and we'll go back," he said. He rubbed his forehead again, "Ah, my head is splitting."

Abby stopped walking and pointed to several shapes lying motionless on the ground ahead of them, "Connor… what's that?" 

"Don't know. Let's check it out," he answered feeling suddenly wary.

"O.K." Abby took two steps and stumbled. Dizzy, she reached for Connor. "I need to sit down."

Connor looked closer at the shapes and realized they were animals scattered around the area. He tried to make sense of what he was seeing. From what he could tell, the creatures had lain down and died. There was no sign of any fights or wounds. Suddenly, everything clicked into place in his mind. He grabbed Abby with both hands and headed back the way they came. Abby was vaguely aware of his terrified voice as he said, "No… no… no!"

"Connor… I have to sit down," Abby insisted.

"Not yet," he pleaded. "You have to keep going." He half-dragged her up the slope, intent on getting them out of the valley.

He forced her all the way to the top of the slope and even when the ground leveled out again, Connor showed no signs of stopping. Feeling sick to her stomach and totally confused by Connor's actions, Abby lost her temper. Jerking her hands free of his, she dropped to the ground and said angrily, "That's it. I'm done."

"Abby, breathe deeply now," he said as he watched her carefully.

"What was that all about?" she asked when her nausea started to ease.

Connor rubbed his forehead again and breathed through his mouth, gulping in air. "The dead animals, the low-lying ground, my head ache and your stomach ache… It was a death trap, Abby."

"What are you talking about?" she asked as the color drained from her face.

"Volcanic vents. They pump out carbon monoxide, which is heavier than air. It stays close to the ground but you can't see it or smell it. If we had stayed any longer, we would have joined those dead creatures."

"You're kidding. We've fought predators, up to and including a T-Rex for months, survived injuries and storms, and we almost get killed by carbon monoxide?"

"Yeah. Pretty ridiculous, huh?"

Abby slowly got to her feet and wrapped her arms around Connor. He felt her tremble as she said, "Just hold me for a minute."

He felt his own body begin to shake as he realized how close to death they had come. He eased back just enough to gently place a hand on her stomach. "Abby, when you first mentioned you felt sick, I wondered if it might be morning sickness," Connor admitted softly.

"Don't worry. Chances are I'm not pregnant," Abby replied.

"That's the thing… when I thought you might be, I was thrilled," he said as he looked into the distance, avoiding her eyes.

Abby looked at him, not sure how to respond. She knew Connor would make a great dad and if she believed the vision she once had, he would be the father of her children… but not yet. She gave up trying to voice her emotions and wrapped her arms more tightly around him, softly kissing his jaw.

He held her tightly, not wanting to let go. "Let's get back to the cave. This day is officially over," he mumbled into her hair.

They walked slowly, breathing in the oxygen-rich air to clear the poison from their bodies.

Connor felt tears on his cheek as he squeezed Abby's hand. The horror of the day seemed to crash down on him. The knowledge lodged in his heart that every day could mean death for one or both of them. He couldn't lose her… couldn't put her in danger any longer. "I'm going to stop searching," he announced. "Its too dangerous and I'm so tired of hoping we'll get home," he said sadly. "I can't do it anymore." 

Abby stopped walking and turned to face him. She knew that arguing with him would do no good. Instead, she reminded him that he wasn't alone. She gently cupped his cheek with her hand and looked into his tortured eyes. "You can't give up on me now. I can't do this without you. I need you, Connor."

"I know. I know," he said feeling impatient with himself. He ran a hand through his hair as he tried to get a grip on his emotions. Eventually, he smiled at her through his tears, "O.K., sorry about the melt down."

Abby wrapped her arms around him, kissing him tenderly. Lifting her lips from his, she nestled her face against his neck and said softly, "That wasn't a melt down. A melt down involves lots of yelling and throwing things. You've done fantastically through this whole thing and taken care of both of us. It's O.K. for you to vent your feelings and to tell me when you're having a rough day. You don't have to be strong all the time," she assured him. "I want to be here for you. I want you to need me, too."

"God, Abby, I do. I would have given up on the first day without you." Connor quickly wiped the tears from his face.

"Right. So we need each other and neither one of us is giving up." She looked directly into his eyes to make sure he was listening. When he nodded his head in agreement, she tugged on him until they were again walking toward their cave. "The rest of the afternoon we are going to tell each other funny stories. Start thinking about the funniest thing that ever happened to you," she suggested.

"O.K." He pulled her to a stop and gave her a soft, undemanding kiss, "Thank you, Abby."

She smiled at him, "You're welcome. Now, did I ever tell you about the time Jack ran away from home and decided to live in Harrods Department Store?"

Connor gave a short laugh, ready to let Abby distract him. He took her hand, silently thanking the universe that she was all right. As he began to walk again he answered, "No I don't think you ever have."

As they reached the safety of their cave, the first drops of rain began to fall.

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Steady reviewers I need your support – keep commenting. People who have not yet reviewed… I'm going to get tough - review or I'll release the hounds! Think of a bunch of puppies like Andrew-Lee Potts's Stanley running directly at you. Don't laugh… they could probably lick you to death. : ) Click the "Review this Chapter" line directly below. You don't even have to sign in.


	22. SkinnyDipping

Author's Note: October 1st and I continue to write. I can't believe I've kept at it this long. Thanks for reading. To all those who do review – THANK YOU! You keep me going when I start to doubt myself.

Skinny Dipping

The nightmare was incredibly vivid. Connor found himself back in the low-lying valley surrounded by dead animals. Abby was crouched down near the ground trying to discover what had killed them. Each second she tarried; she breathed in more and more carbon monoxide. She looked up into Connor's eyes, unaware she was dying. Silently, she crumpled to the ground. Connor watched it happen, helplessly frozen in place and unable to speak. He couldn't save her. Finally free to move, he sank down next to Abby and gathered her into his arms. His throat ached as he bowed his head in sorrow…

Abby gently touched Connor's shoulder. He was having a dream and she could tell by his anguished sounds that it was a bad one. She shook him lightly. "Connor, wake up. It's all right," she said softly.

Connor jerked and yelled, "Abby!" as he sat bolt upright. He looked at her in confusion, then said, "Oh, god. It was a dream." He crushed Abby to him and buried his face against her neck.

She stroked his hair until she felt him begin to relax against her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head and reluctantly let go of her, "Not now. Maybe later, O.K.?"

Abby had a pretty good idea of what was wrong. Their brush with death yesterday in the carbon monoxide filled valley, had upset them both. She had tried to make Connor laugh by telling him stories about her brother, Jack, but apparently it hadn't dispelled the horror of the day.

They both felt sick and weak for most of the evening. On top of that, a storm had arrived bringing thunder and lightening that kept them on awake and on edge the entire night.

Abby knew they needed something to remind them that life wasn't all danger, dinosaur fighting and work. "Let's go to the waterfall today," she suggested hopefully.

Connor was torn. Despite their brush with death, he needed to continue his search. But he also needed to make time for Abby and their relationship. He quickly decided that a day together at the pool was worth the loss of a search day. "O.K., that's a good idea," he agreed. "We can both use one more day to recover."

"Yeah, nothing like a nice swim to make you feel better," she said with a teasing smile.

He couldn't help but grin at her. They had enjoyed one night as lovers, so the idea of skinny-dipping with Abby delighted him but also challenged his self-control. "Let's give the predators plenty of time to finish at the pool before we go," he said.

They spent the rest of the morning comfortably working on their own projects in the cave. By mid-day they were ready for a break. They took their spears and cautiously walked to the waterfall.

The area proved to be free of predators and the pool looked very inviting. The water was a beautiful aqua blue and the sun shone down on the boulders and sandy ground of the shore.

On the far side of the pool, bones protruded from the sand. They were all that remained of the T-Rex they had called Lester. The carcass had surfaced, floated to the far shore and been picked clean by the local creatures.

Connor and Abby stopped at their favorite spot to bathe.

"I want our clothes and spears as near to the hidden cave as possible in case we have to disappear quickly," he said.

"Right," she agreed. "I'll go first." Abby removed her jacket and pulled her top over her head.

Connor turned his back to her, giving her privacy while she undressed.

She smiled, thinking he had to be the sweetest guy she had ever met. When everything was off, she jumped into the pool.

Connor heard the splash and turned around to see Abby treading water near the falls.

"Your turn," she said quietly.

Connor pulled off his jackets and tugged his t-shirt over his head, giving Abby a nice view of his chest and narrow waist. He reached for his belt, but paused, as he looked at her uncertainly.

Abby took the hint and turned away from him to dunk her head under the water. When she came back up, she felt the ripples of Connor's dive and turned to face him as he surfaced next to her.

"Hi," he said with a grin.

"Hi, yourself," she smiled back.

The water was crystal clear and did nothing to obscure their view of each other's bodies. Connor pulled her to him and kissed her gently. "You feel good," he told her as he closed his eyes and rubbed his cheek against hers.

"You too," she agreed.

She gave him a peck of a kiss then dove under the water to swim beneath the falls. Connor followed her, swimming with powerful strokes so that he could catch her. They both surfaced and Connor reached out to take her hand. He pulled her to him, letting her body glide through the water and come to rest against his. Smiling, he moved them until the water from the falls poured down on them. Abby laughed in joy as Connor held her. He moved to a submerged ledge in the shade and pulled Abby onto his lap. She gave him another playful kiss. He kissed her back, smiling, and then kissed her again feeling the mood between them change from innocent fun to desire. He gathered her closer to him as the kiss turned passionate. He lifted his mouth from hers and breathed her name in longing, "Abby…"

Heat flowed through her at the sound of his voice. Abby wanted to wrap herself around him… to give in to the driving hunger she felt. She tried to shift her position, instinctively seeking to bring them together.

Connor held her still. She was his everything… his salvation. He would protect Abby from all things… even himself. Eyes squeezed closed, his face revealed desire bordering on pain, as he ran his hand down her spine to caress her hip. He lifted his hand off her silky skin and looked into her eyes. "You are so beautiful," he sighed, "and this was a really bad idea." After a few deep breaths, he smiled at her and gestured toward the shore.

Abby frowned at him, knowing he was right but completely unhappy about it. She gave a sharp nod of her head and swam to the place where they left their clothes.

Connor stayed back watching her angrily yank on her knickers and jeans before he waded out and pulled on his own jeans. Immediately, he put his hands on her tiny waist and pulled her back against him. He ran his mouth up her shoulder and carefully drew the skin of her neck between his lips.

Abby groaned in pleasure and tipped her head to give him better access, but to her disappointment, he stepped away and picked up her top. He quickly popped it over her head and waited for her to finish dressing before he hugged her tightly.

She returned his hug and whispered, "You're driving me crazy, but I love you."

Connor's whole face lit up at her words. He lifted her off the ground and swung her around in a circle. "I'm never going to get tired of hearing that. I mean the love part… not the driving you crazy part," he said with a goofy grin. He pulled on his shirt and jackets, picked up their spears and reached for her hand. "We better get out of here before the afternoon, predator rush-hour."

"Not yet," she replied as she wrapped both arms around his neck.

Connor looked into her eyes and was lost. He dropped the spears to wrap his arms around her as she kissed him. He held her, but stayed passive, allowing Abby to give him kiss after kiss. When he felt the blood pound in his veins, he pulled back. "Now who's driving who crazy?" he panted. He touched his nose and forehead to hers and said in a husky voice, "I love you, too."

As he bent to retrieve their spears from the ground, he felt a slight tremor under his feet. Soon it became a constant rumble as the earth shook with the weight of many moving dinosaurs.

Abby pointed toward the ridge where several dinosaurs could be seen coming toward the pool. She glanced at Connor as the ground continued to shake. More and more creatures appeared over the ridge as they watched. The herd of duckbills was coming to drink.

Connor led Abby to the hidden cave where they watched the herd move leisurely to the edge of the pool. The huge creatures approached slowly, reaching the water in groups of two or three. Some of the groups were obviously family units still caring for juveniles. Several of the creatures waded into the water as Connor watched in awe. "They're beautiful," he said quietly.

"Yeah. It's nice to see them up close," Abby agreed. She watched the herd settle in. "It looks like they're planning to stay for a while. If we move slowly, we should be able to walk out of here without disturbing them," she suggested.

"O.K., I'll go first," he decided as he took Abby's hand.

The two moved carefully past several of the large creatures. They had almost made it to the edge of the herd when an ancient dinosaur blocked Abby's way. The dinosaur lowered its head and sniffed her curiously. Her scent carried no memory of danger and the rest of the herd was calm, so the creature watched her without anxiety. Abby very slowly raised her hand, keeping it in the duckbill's line of sight. She lightly touched her fingers to its neck, giving a delicate stroke across the tough skin. "I won't hurt you," she said soothingly.

Sweat broke out on Connor's forehead as he watched Abby pet the creature. His first thought was to yank her away and run like hell, but he trusted Abby and stayed still.

The duckbill allowed Abby's touch for a moment, and then turned away to join the rest of the herd.

Connor immediately pulled her out of the area and walked quickly toward their cave as he mumbled, "You sure know how to give a guy a heart-attack."

"Worried, were you?" she asked.

"A little bit," he answered with a grin.

"Me too," she admitted cheekily as she gripped Connor's hand and urged him to run the rest of the way to the cave.

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I hope you enjoyed this chapter. My ancient kitty just passed away, but I'll try to keep my sadness out of the writing. Take a second and review.


	23. Connor's Cut

Statement of the bleeding obvious: this story is about Connor and Abby's relationship and how it grows and deepens during their time in the Cretaceous. I try to put some adventure in the stories but the main theme is their love. Happily for everyone, this chapter has both love and adventure! Reviews greatly appreciated... I write better when I get comments.

Connor's Cut

Connor woke up to the sound of heavy rainfall. His internal clock assured him that the sun should be up, but the cloud cover was so dense that there was very little light in the cave. He and Abby wouldn't be able to get much work done until the storm passed. He felt Abby stir in his arms. She slowly moved her leg, which was once again slung across his hips. As she slid her leg away from his body, she brushed a very sensitive area of Connor's anatomy. It had been sensitive since yesterday afternoon at the waterfall. Seeing her through the clear water and holding her wet skin against his, had given him some interesting dreams last night. He unconsciously stroked her arm as he struggled to recapture the memory, but it was useless, he was totally awake.

Sick of merely dreaming about Abby, he shifted his hips uncomfortably. One night as lovers was not enough. They were a couple. Their relationship was a reality. His body was very insistent that he should stop acting like a monk and start enjoying his new status. Abby had certainly seemed willing at the pool…

It was his responsibility as a boyfriend to keep his lady happy, Connor decided. But with the work of surviving and facing death every other day, he hadn't managed to get around to anything even remotely sexy for what seemed like an eternity… until their swim.

Being together at the waterfall had forcefully reminded him of the strong physical attraction that existed between himself and Abby. Even a saint would be tempted, but it had been too dangerous to follow through.

In other circumstances, he would have tried to romance Abby after they returned to the cave. But the lack of sleep from the previous night and the after-effects of carbon monoxide exposure combined with swimming, the stress of facing the duckbill herd and the run to safety had exhausted them. Sleep had taken them almost immediately, and not even the arrival of a storm during the night could wake them.

With the arrival of a new day, Connor felt fantastic and his thoughts quickly turned to the beautiful girl sleeping in his arms. Erotic images filled his head as he remembered swimming with Abby under the waterfall. He lay still for a few moments until his body achingly informed him that he was wasting a lovely opportunity. He tilted his chin to kiss the top of Abby's head and then rolled her onto her back to kiss her lips, lingering over her. He allowed his mouth to roam along her neck before returning to her lips for a long kiss. Pulling her closer, he pressed himself against her hip seeking more contact.

Abby woke up as Connor kissed her. Gladness filled her heart. He still wanted her. He had been very restrained after their one night as lovers and it was really starting to worry Abby. It had taken him years to get past her defenses but now that he had, she wanted to move faster than a snail's pace with their relationship. Even though she was still half asleep, she quickly began to respond to his touch.

He took his time, giving her long, enticing kisses… savoring the opportunity to be with her. His hand possessively stroked her jean-covered waist and hip, then found its way under her top to stroke her bare skin. He finally looked down into her eyes as he said, "Abby, I know we can't make love, but can we…" he whispered the rest of his request in her ear.

Abby shivered at both the feel of his warm breath on her ear and the words he whispered. She lifted her head slightly so she could nibble on his ear lobe as she enthusiastically answered, "Yes, please."

The rain continued to fall steadily outside the cave, but Connor and Abby were not aware of it. Totally absorbed in physical sensation, the young couple heard only the sounds of pleasure they drew from each other. It was the perfect morning for love, as the rain held them captive.

By the time the rain stopped and the sun began to shine on the drenched greenery, Connor and Abby were asleep again, bodies curled around each other in contentment.

Abby woke up first and nudged Connor. "Rain stopped," she said with a serene smile.

Connor yawned, "I never realized how much I love a good rain. If I'm lucky, this is the start of monsoon season and it will rain every morning from now on," he said as he leered at her.

"You can dream," she said with a smirk.

"Yes, I can," he said as he stared off into space happily.

Abby poked him in the ribs gently, "It's definitely time to get up," she said sternly.

"Well, technically I've already done that," he said.

Abby looked at his laughter-filled eyes and turned pink. "Connor, shut up."

Giving up the word play, Connor kissed her in satisfaction. "That was brilliant," he said happily.

Abby sat up and stretched, "Uh huh. Now if I just had a cup of hot tea and a chocolate croissant, I'd be a very happy girl."

Connor patted her hip and sat up. "I'd like eggs and buttered toast with my tea," he said with a wink. He grabbed his jeans and stood up. "It's getting late and we need to hunt."

"Fine. Just give me a second," Abby said as she pulled her jeans on.

They dressed quickly, grabbed their gear and left the cave. The air smelled of damp earth and dew-covered plants. Abby filled her lungs and looked around. "Connor, look to the east."

The dark clouds were moving out onto the plains, making a perfect backdrop for a double rainbow. The two brilliantly colored arches were visible from end to end.

"Wow. I've never seen a double one where both ends seemed to touch the ground," he said.

"Maybe it will mean good luck for us today."

Connor smiled to himself, thinking it had already brought him luck.

They passed through fields covered in drifts of orange, yellow and red wildflowers as they carefully avoided the muddy ground. Eventually they came to the dense part of the forest where huge ferns crowded around them.

Abby heard a slight rustle of leaves and stabbed down with her spear. The small screech of the lizard she killed caused an explosion of movement around them as seven other lizards began to run. Connor managed to spear a second lizard before the rest of the group disappeared further into the forest.

"Hey, we did have good luck! Two lizards in a matter of seconds," she said cheerfully.

Connor picked up the dead lizards, holding them by their hind legs and stuffed them into his pack. "Better get these back to the cave."

They walked quietly, listening to the calls of the birds. When they heard the sounds of fighting, they cautiously approached the area until they could get a look at the creatures. Two stygimolochs were battling each other using their sharp claws and horns. The creatures stood upright to fight and were similar in size to large bears. Each animal's head was topped with multiple horns, sticking up like a Punk's spiked hair.

Abby whispered in Connor's ear. "We need to get away from here. They're fighting for dominance. The loser is not going to be in a good mood."

Connor nodded in agreement as they silently backed away.

The two creatures continued to fight as Connor and Abby circled around them. The older male roared and clamped its teeth onto the challenger's neck. The younger male tore himself free and retreated, whining in pain as blood trailed down its neck. It ran from the area, only to find its retreat blocked by Connor and Abby.

The young stygimoloch stood up on its hind legs and roared. Connor stepped away from Abby, constantly maintaining eye contact with the angry animal. Blood continued to ooze from its neck as it roared again and charged.

Abby looked for a chance to attack as the creature snapped at Connor. It reared back as Connor jabbed his spear toward the animal, narrowly missing it. At the same time that Connor leaned forward to strike, the beast swiped at him with its sharp claws. Connor tried to jerk back, but his foot slipped on the muddy ground. The creature caught his forehead with one sharp claw, just missing Connor's eye. He dropped his spear and fell to the ground with a yell of pain.

Abby moved in front of Connor placing herself between him and the creature. She desperately wanted to see if he was all right, but she kept all her attention focused on the angry predator.

The creature dropped onto all four legs, ready for the kill, when the older stygimoloch loped into the area. It ignored Connor and Abby as it growled in rage at the sight of its challenger. Abby threw herself down next to Connor, intent on protecting him, as the older male chased the younger male from its territory.

As soon as the creatures were out of sight, she grabbed Connor's arm. "Can you stand?"

"I think so, but I've got blood in my eyes. I can't see very well," he admitted.

"It's O.K.," she promised as she picked up their gear and slipped Connor's arm over her shoulder. "I'll lead the way."

She kept a grip on their spears and supported Connor's weight, urging him to lean on her. She kept them moving until they were out of the forest. Quickly she turned out one of the pockets of her jeans and ripped it loose. She handed the fabric to him. "Press that to the wound."

As soon as he obeyed her, she wrapped her arm around his waist and hurried them back to the cave. She helped him to the floor of the cave and grabbed a canteen. "Lean forward. I need to pour water over the cut."

Connor clenched his jaw as she cleaned his forehead. "How bad is it?"

Abby used the water to clean the blood from his face and eyes. "Your eye is O.K., and I don't think you'll need stitches, but you've got a pretty good scratch from the arch of your eyebrow up your forehead. It could have been a lot worse," she said with relief. Now hold still while I put antiseptic on it."

The burning sensation of the antiseptic on his forehead made him shout a curse-word, but he quickly corrected himself, "I mean… Ouch, that stings!" he yelped.

Abby tried to hide a small grin at hearing Connor curse for the very first time. "I'm sorry, but it's got to be disinfected," she said cheerfully.

When she finished bandaging his forehead, she led him to their blankets. She sat down with her back against the cave wall. "Lay your head in my lap and be still for a while," she said softly.

"O.K.," he said as he settled himself on his back with his head across her lap. His forehead throbbed, but he tried to relax.

She ran her fingers through his hair, soothing him with her touch. "Close your eyes and rest," she suggested.

"I will, but I want to talk to you first. You could have been killed today. You should have left me," he said sternly.

"Would you have left me?"

"No way."

"There you go. We watch each other's backs. Always have, always will," she stated calmly.

Connor sighed, knowing she was right. He dropped the subject but still needed something to distract himself. After a moment he said, "When we get home… will you still want to live in a flat?"

She mulled over the question then answered, "I don't think I could live in the city anymore. I'd like a place near forestland with room for a small private yard and garden. I could grow flowers and food in the garden. The house would be cozy and warm with a soft couch for reading and watching T.V. and a tea kettle constantly ready on the stove."

Connor could visualize the place easily. It was exactly what he wanted, but Abby hadn't mentioned him at all. Trying to be as casual as possible, he asked, "Am I there too?"

Abby was caught off guard by Connor's insecurity. When she thought about it though, it made perfect sense. She had kept him in the friend zone, shying away from anything else until they got stuck in the past. It must seem to Connor that she had accepted him because she had no other choice.

She knew that wasn't true. She had been falling in love with him for years and it was the danger and the inability to hide from him that completed the process. Realizing she had been silent for too long, she squeezed his shoulder, "Of course you are. Who do you think always has the kettle on?"

Connor smiled and closed his eyes. He ignored the pain of his cut as he focused on Abby's voice describing _their_ house. He imagined them happy and safe… He was sure that one day they would have that home.

Abby lightly stroked his cheek and watched his face soften into sleep. Absently, she wondered how much longer Connor would believe they could get back home. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at his peaceful face. Impatiently, she blinked them away. Determined not to waste whatever time they had together, Abby came to a decision. Their life was happening now. Whether they liked it or not, the cave and the dangerous land of dinosaurs would be their world from now on. Defeated, she looked around the cave planning ways to make it more livable, while outside night fell on the Cretaceous.

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Abby is settling in for a long stay. How will Connor react when he realizes that she has given up?


	24. Regarding Raptors

Author's Note: I'm so busy in my life that I can't even come up with a cute way to beg for reviews. Beg… that's it! Please, please, please… For crying out loud… leave a review! (Joking aside, I really would like to hear from more of you). Thanks again to the select few that do review. This chapter is super-sized but I hope you enjoy every word.

Regarding Raptors

The days were definitely getting shorter. On a positive note, that meant the nights were getting longer. Abby looked down into Connor's dark eyes as she enjoyed the after-shocks of pleasure still pulsing through her body. He looked back up at her from his position resting on her stomach. She could tell he was elated with her intense response to his lovemaking. He rubbed his chin against her hip as he shifted to kiss his way up her body, making Abby squirm.

She jerked and laughed, "Your beard tickles."

As he placed a final kiss along her neck he said, "You weren't complaining about it a few minutes ago."

"I was occupied with other things," she said with a satisfied smile.

Connor licked his lips. "Something I was doing?"

"Uh huh," she said as she pulled his head down for another kiss. "Now its your turn," she mumbled as she began to kiss her way down his chest. She focused all her attention on pleasing him. Abby knew they were in the 'honeymoon phase', that amazing time when one look, one touch was enough to ignite their passion. She truly hoped it would last a very long time. With renewed vigor, she teased him unmercifully.

Some time later, when Connor could breath again, he gently pulled Abby up his body until they were face to face. He looked into her eyes, and thought how incredibly lucky he was to have her. Making love to Abby had become his favorite early morning activity, and even though they couldn't technically make love, they still found fulfillment. They couldn't seem to get enough of one another and every morning meant satisfaction for them both.

Abby collapsed on top of him with a happy chuckle. As she rested in his arms she thought about how fantastic the last several mornings had been. Yesterday morning, she had managed to get dressed and almost out of the cave, before Connor had playfully grabbed her. She found herself being picked up and carried back to their blankets as she giggled like a schoolgirl.

This morning, she initiated their love play by kissing Connor awake. He quickly took control of the situation, doing lovely, wicked things to her until she was left gasping but very happy. She then proceeded to return the favor, making Connor cry out in pleasure. Now lying in his arms, she felt a soul-deep satisfaction.

Connor felt Abby relax completely as he held her. Contentment poured through him as his heartbeat slowed to normal. Everything felt right. The glow from their love was so bright that he knew it could last forever. Forever meant commitment to him, but Abby was so self-contained that he wasn't sure how to proceed. He had made promises to her, but that wasn't the same as a formal proposal of marriage. In their current situation, he wondered if marriage was pointless. After all, they didn't have to worry about adultery; there was zero possibility of that. She knew he loved her.

Thoughts swirled around in his head and then screeched to a halt. What if she said no… She might panic if he got that serious. He worried about the situation a while longer and finally pushed it aside. He would sort it out soon.

Feeling energized after making love with Abby, Connor focused on the coming day. There was a huge amount of work that needed to get done, so he reluctantly let go of her. He gave her one last kiss before he rolled away to grab his jeans. "Sun will be up soon."

"Are we hunting today?" she asked, as she got dressed.

"Yep. I need to kill some larger animals and dry the meat," he said as he wrapped his wrist guard around his left arm.

"O.K., I'll be ready in just a minute," she said as she stepped into her boots.

They each grabbed the food packets they had prepared the night before. The packets consisted of berries, roots and pine nuts all wrapped in a large leaf.

As the first rays of sunlight brightened the morning sky, they grabbed their spears and left the cave. They followed the rock formations, moving silently until they passed an opening in the rocks.

Abby tugged Connor to a stop and whispered in his ear, "I thought I heard something."

He listened carefully for a minute, but everything was still. "I don't hear anything…" he began.

Abby shushed him, putting one index finger to her lips and pointing the other index finger toward the trees.

Suddenly, the area erupted in growls as a raptor moved from the shadows of the forest to step into the open. When a second raptor emerged from a dark recess behind them, Connor and Abby shifted until they were back to back with their spears held ready.

"Make them come to us," Abby instructed.

The raptor facing Abby charged forward, hoping to scare its prey into bolting away from its mate. Abby stayed still until the creature was in striking distance before she jabbed her spear into its chest. The raptor pulled itself away from the spear before it screeched and charged again. Abby took two steps away from Connor and thrust forward, aiming for the raptor's heart.

As Abby fought off one raptor, the other attacked Connor. It dodged his spear and tried to snap its jaw onto his left arm. Connor swung his arm out of the way, but the creature managed to catch a loose end of his wrist guard in its teeth. The raptor gave a sharp tug, pulling Connor off his feet. He tumbled head over heels, and lost his grip on his spear. As he hit the ground hard, he felt the scab on his forehead tear and a small trickle of blood ran down his face. The scent of blood riveted the raptor's attention, as it ran forward to tear into the soft meat of its prey.

Connor saw the raptor's long, sharp teeth about to clamp down on his waist. He sucked in his breath, trying to roll out of the way. Abruptly the creature jerked its head back and shuddered. It toppled sideways, falling limply to the ground beside him. With the raptor out of his line of sight, Connor was able to see Abby standing over him, like an avenging warrior with her spear covered in gore and blood.

"Are you O.K.?" she asked in a worried voice.

"Yep. Just shook up. That was much too close," he admitted.

Abby helped Connor to his feet, "Look at it this way, you got the extra meat you wanted."

"True," he said as he studied the dead raptors. He stopped and focused on Abby. "Thank you for saving my life. You were amazing. How did you do that?"

"Well, I was very relaxed this morning. It helped me focus," she said with a wide smile.

"Remind me to make sure you're relaxed every morning," he said with a smirk.

Abby hugged him close, "I'm counting on it." The absolute truth of her words almost buckled her knees. She did count on him for love, physical closeness, emotional support and companionship. If he died, she would literally go insane. It was terrifying how much she needed him. She buried her face against his chest. "I thought I'd lost you," she admitted gruffly.

"Oh, you can't get rid of me," he joked.

"Don't do that," she demanded.

"What?" he asked in confusion.

Don't make everything a joke."

"Since when do my jokes bother you?"

"Since right now," she fumed. Fear swamped her as she grasped the reason she didn't want him to joke. She had completely opened her heart to Connor and there was no way to close it off again. She was totally vulnerable to him. Their relationship was vitally important to her and she didn't want him to dismiss it so easily.

"Fine. Sorry to try to lighten the mood," he said sarcastically.

"Oh, don't be sorry," she mocked. Her insecurity began to overwhelm her as she struggled with her feelings. "You're always so nice. Why don't you get mad? Why don't you act like a human being instead of a bloody boy scout?"

Her words cut deep, slicing into his greatest worry. She thought he was too nice, too sweet. He was the exact opposite of the macho-type man that would really suit Abby. Was she dumping him? "What has gotten in to you?" he asked in surprised hurt.

Abby sneered at him and turned away. "You want to know what has gotten in to me? You. You have my heart and my body. I'm crazy in love with you… while you breeze along keeping everything light and easy."

Abby's statement of love was lost among the hurtful words and angry tone of her complaint. Connor latched on to the last thing she said. "Wait a minute," he argued, "I thought you wanted light and easy."

"Not anymore. I want you to be possessive and intense and to show me I'm important…" she raged.

Connor moved fast, cutting off the flow of her words and yanking Abby into his arms before she could react. He hooked one hand around her waist while the fingers of his other hand tangled in her hair. His lips were just inches away from hers as he stared at her in frustrated anger.

Abby saw something dangerous flash in his dark eyes and wondered if she had pushed him too far. An instant later, his mouth crashed down on hers. His kiss was demanding and harsh. Just as quickly, he released her. "That intense enough for you?" he asked fiercely. He wanted to shout at her, but that might draw predators to them. He forced himself to speak quietly. "I don't understand what you expect of me," he hissed as he stalked away from her.

Abby knew she should shut up, but fear and anger made her push him even further. "I know you don't understand. You don't get it. None of this is serious for you. You're just marking time until we can leave this place. Well guess what… we aren't EVER getting out of here!" As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wanted to draw them back. Cautiously, she watched Connor. 

He looked as if she had slapped him. "How long have you felt this way?" he asked very quietly. When she didn't answer, a feeling of betrayal squeezed his heart. "What happened to _don't give up on me_? Have you been lying this whole time?" he demanded fearfully. He dropped his eyes to the ground as the unthinkable occurred to him, "What else have you been lying about?"

Abby saw the expression on his face and felt sick to her stomach. He thought she had lied about loving him. She had finally done it. She had destroyed their relationship and Connor would never trust her again.

She watched him snatch up his pack and pull out his bowie knife. Ignoring her, he dropped down next to the dead raptors, intent on carving sections of meat to take back to the cave. His movements were tight and abrupt, expressing his deep upset with her. She watched in confusion – unsure of how things had gone so wrong. This wasn't what she wanted.

She almost apologized, but the words stuck in her throat. She stuffed her broken-hearted feelings down and smothered them with anger. Stiffly, she picked up their spears and led the way back to the cave.

The silence stretched on for hours as they both wallowed in despair.

Eventually Connor's anger and hurt faded enough for him to risk a look at Abby. She was making another basket for food storage, but her expression was so sad. As he watched her, his heart overruled his head. He couldn't be wrong about their love and he refused to doubt Abby any longer. She wasn't Caroline and she wouldn't fake her feelings. She did love him even if he wasn't like Stephen, or Becker. He was sure of it.

He looked away, pursed his lips and gave a deep sigh as he tried to understand her. She might have given up on getting home but that didn't mean she had given up on their relationship. He walked away from where she was sitting, giving himself some space in case she wasn't ready to talk.

"Abby," he said softly. He waited until she looked up at him before he continued, "I'm… sorry. Your words hurt and surprised me. I had no idea you had given up on getting home and apparently I'm still a little insecure about you actually loving me," he said with a tiny smile. "I lashed out at you… forgive me?" he asked solemnly.

Abby stared at him, fighting her pride. She stood up and turned her back to him.

Connor's face lost all expression and his shoulders slumped.

Suddenly, Abby turned toward him and broke into a run. She ran straight toward him, jumping up at the last second to wrap her legs around his waist.

Connor staggered as he tried to balance her weight. When he was steady, arms supporting her lower back, Abby leaned forward and kissed him over and over. Each kiss was interspersed with an explanation, "My fault… I'm sorry… I'm insecure too." She hugged him tightly as she admitted, "You know the real me now. You know I'm not the girl you fantasized about for years. What if you don't want the real me?" She swallowed hard and gave him the truth, "I'm completely in love with you but I'm really scared."

Connor waited until the kisses and words slowed to a stop. With Abby wrapped around him, he had to look up to meet her eyes. She looked so nervous and unsure that Connor's heart melted. "Abby, I've seen you at your very worst. I've also seen you at your very best. I know the real you and I do want you. You are my life," he promised. He didn't know how to make it any clearer.

Abby kissed his forehead, carefully avoiding his re-opened cut. "Thank you," she whispered. "I'm sorry I pushed my doubts about getting out of the Cretaceous onto you. But honestly, I've come to believe we'll spend the rest of our lives here. When you nearly got eaten this morning, I was terrified and I reacted badly."

Connor nodded and slowly carried her to their blankets. He stored away all the information he had learned today about Abby and himself. He decided he would never be as macho as Stephen or Becker, but maybe that was O.K. It was also O.K. that Abby had lost faith in getting home. It upset him and made him sad, but he couldn't really blame her. Maybe one day he would give up too, but not yet.

Incredibly glad they had gotten past their worst fight ever, Connor decided to use the age- old method of re-establishing a relationship after a quarrel. Making love was a nice, simple way to apologize. He much preferred it to hours of talking, he thought in satisfaction.

Abby let him carry her to their bed, relieved that the anger and uncertainty between them had been pushed aside. Deep in her heart, she knew she had come very close to ruining things with Connor. But no matter how badly she messed up, Connor kept coming back. She marveled at his patience and willingness to accept her as she was. She might not have any faith in getting home, but she was beginning to have a great deal of faith in Connor's love.

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Believe it or not, there are only a few more chapters left in this story. Please leave a comment (Connor and Abby insist) and watch for my next chapter to be posted on ALP's birthday, 10/29!


	25. Mighty Hunter

Author's Note: I got a request to post a little something before the 29th, so here it is. This one is fairly short and I threw it together fast. Please forgive any typos/grammar issues. Enjoy.

Mighty Hunter

Abby went through a series of kicks and punches. She knew that without her punching bag, she looked as if she was performing a graceful but possibly lethal dance. If anyone other than Connor could see her, she would be embarrassed. As it was, she knew he watched her, but she didn't mind. He seemed to think watching her work out was exciting and sexy.

As she finished her routine, she felt Connor move to stand directly behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, possessively splaying one hand over the zipper of her jeans as he place a kiss on her neck just below her ear. He pulled her tightly against his chest and gently bit her neck, physically reminding her that she was his.

She tilted her head and closed her eyes. "I love it when you go all alpha-male on me," she admitted. "It makes me feel delicate when you act like a big, strong man."

"Oh come on, Abby. Don't kid me," he said with absolute sincerity. "I'm not big and strong. I'm just the tech guy who handles logistics, not some mighty hunter."

Abby stared at him in disbelief. "Connor, you _were_ a logistics man. Now you could give Becker competition."

"Funny…" he answered sarcastically.

"I'm serious. I know your body pretty well now," she said while Connor blushed all the way to the tips of his ears. "You're all lean and sleek, with a lot of strong muscle hiding under that t-shirt. You fight well and face danger without flinching. I'd say that makes you more action man than logistics expert," she stated honestly.

A surprised smile dawned on Connor's face as he accepted Abby's description. "Huh," he exclaimed as he began to see himself in a new way.

"Come on, mighty hunter," she teased. She grabbed their spears and pulled Connor out of the cave. "I need to gather some more of the field grass."

They moved quickly, running through the open land as fast as possible. When they reached the grassland, they slowed down. The grass was almost as tall as Connor. Abby could disappear into the field, her blonde hair blending in with the ripe grass. But Connor's dark hair stood out even when he tried to stay low.

Unseen by Connor and Abby, a lone predator watched from a hill at the far side of the field. The creature stood up, sniffing the wind and slowly moved toward the tall grass.

On the other side of the field, Abby was on a mission. She wanted to find a specific type of grass she had seen on a previous walk. It had deep, golden edges dotted with brown spots that set off the beige center stripe of each blade perfectly. She thought it would make a wonderful basket. She spotted a clump of the beautiful grass and sprinted toward it until her foot turned on the uneven ground and she fell with a cry of pain. Connor knelt beside her, " Are you all right?"

"I think I just twisted my ankle," she said with a wince of pain. "Yep, it's definitely going to be sore for a few days."

Connor helped her to her feet. "Can you walk?"

"Yes, if we go slow."

She kept her weight on her good leg, using her spear as a walking stick while Connor quickly cut some of the grass for her. He bundled it with a length of yarn Abby always kept with her and slung it over his shoulder. They slowly turned back the way they came.

They almost made it to the edge of the field, when they heard something big pushing its way through the deep grass behind them.

"We're not alone in here," Abby whispered. "I'm not going to be able to outrun whatever it is."

Connor looked around, quickly thinking of options. "O.K., we're going to have to fight and I want surprise on our side. I'll move away from you into the thicker grass. You sit down and make some noise," he said unhappily.

"Good idea. I'll lure it in and you attack it," she said trying to look as if she didn't have a care in the world. "Think I can look tasty enough for whatever it is?" she asked with a small smile.

"No doubt in my mind," he said, desperately wishing he didn't have to use Abby as bait. He gave her one last reassuring look before he crouched down and quickly disappeared into the tall grass.

Abby heard the creature getting closer, but she wanted to make sure to lead it directly to her, so she scooted back against a boulder, scuffing the boot of her unhurt leg on the ground as she moved. For good measure, she let out a cry as if she was mortally wounded.

In the middle of the field, the creature raised its head. The cry had come from directly ahead. Moving quickly, it advanced toward the sound.

Abby continued to scrap her boot across the ground, as the rustling of the grass got louder. Soon she could see the tall blades quaking as they were pushed aside by the approaching creature. She glanced toward where Connor was hidden, sending him an encouraging smile. Seconds later, the predator crashed through the grass and ran straight at her. She didn't know exactly what it was, but it had a long narrow jaw full of very sharp looking teeth. She grabbed her spear and watched in horror as it came toward her.

Connor stayed low, unmoving in his hidden spot as he carefully listened and watched the area around Abby. As the creature burst through the grass and charged, Connor jumped up and attacked, impaling the beast from the side with his spear. He struck twice before the monster circled toward him. When the creature leapt at him, he braced the end of his spear on the ground and fell back. As he fell, he brought the tip of his spear up, directly in line with the on-coming creature. It's own weight impaled it on the wooden shaft as Connor dodged it's sharp teeth. As the beast knocked him down, Connor grabbed its jaw, holding the snapping teeth away from his chest. While he wrestled with the creature, Abby limped toward him. She picked up the largest rock she could find and raised it over her head to crash it down on the creature's skull with a dull thud. The unconscious monster dropped onto Connor. With a great deal of effort, he was able to push the creature off his chest and retrieve his spear.

He stood up and moved to support Abby's waist.

"How's the ankle?" he asked without a thought for the danger they had just faced.

"It will be O.K., but we better get out of here before that thing wakes up."

"Right," he answered, helping her walk out of the field.

Abby concentrated on limping as fast as she could until they reached the cave. Connor helped her get settled near the fire-pit, then collapsed wearily beside her.

She watched him for a minute before she said, "Thanks for taking that creature on."

"What else could I do? It was threatening you," he answered matter-of-factly.

"See… that is what I'm talking about. You're just as fearless and brave as Stephen ever was. He and Cutter would be proud of you," she said softly.

"Maybe," he answered without conviction.

He was glad that Abby thought he was strong and brave. She was right; he had changed. But he much preferred being plain, old Connor Temple… computer nerd extraordinaire and gadget inventor. He hoped that one day he would be back in his own world where he could surround himself with technology. If he could just find a way home, he wouldn't have to be a 'mighty hunter' ever again.

xxxxxxxxx

Poor Connor. From the look of the Primeval Series 4 & 5 shots I've seen of him, even after he gets home, he's still going to have to be more 'action man' than nerd. I can't wait! It's rumored that Series 4 starts on January 1st in the U.K. I'm still on track for the next chapter to post 10/29!


	26. The Proposal

Author's Note: ALP is 31 years old today. Happy Birthday to the man that inspired me to write all this!

The Proposal

The day was ending and both Connor and Abby were in high spirits. They had been extremely productive, doing a great deal of work without a single predator encounter. They had plenty of dried and stored food; a large supply of wood for the fire and Abby had even managed to create a mattress of sorts for them by bundling together parcels of long, soft field grass.

Connor took one look at the mattress and raised his eyebrows at her. "Is this a hint?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, now that we have a mattress, I feel duty bound to put it to good use," he teased.

They both smiled at his words, but felt content to simply sit together. Their long stay in the Cretaceous had forged them into a couple; bonded by love and trust. They found comfort in each other's arms and safety in their guardianship of one another.

As night fell, they settled near the fire pit, ready to enjoy the quiet time they shared every evening. Abby listened to the wind whistle past the entrance to the cave. Outside, she could hear the leaves of the trees rustle. One minute the sound was soft and cascading; the next it turned loud and wild as the wind tossed the limbs back and forth violently.

Connor added wood to the fire, building it up against the chill in the air. Once he had it blazing, he sat back down across from Abby and stared into the flames. "Halloween will be here soon," he said conversationally.

Abby smiled at him. "Your second favorite holiday. I know you'll miss being able to dress up," she said giving him a sympathetic look.

"Who says we can't dress up?" Connor shot back. "We could be Adam and Eve," he said with a sly smile.

"Oooh… clever," she laughed. "You know I still can't believe you talked me into going to a costume party with you last year."

"Oh, come on… you were perfect as Rose Tyler."

Abby gave him a disgusted look, "Yeah, but you originally wanted me to go as K-9." After a pause, she admitted, "As I recall, you looked pretty good as the Doctor. Very sexy."

Connor winked at her and grinned.

They sat for a while in comfortable silence before Abby asked, "What was the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you at a costume party?"

Connor gave her a small smile, "That's a tough question. There have been so many embarrassments." He caught her eye and laughed at himself. After a minute, he continued, "O.K., it had to be the year I dressed up as Indiana Jones complete with bull whip."

Abby imagined Connor wearing the costume. She could easily see him in the tan hat, brown jacket and pants and bit her lower lip at the appealing picture in her mind. "What happened?" she asked quietly.

"Well, it was all going fine until my friend, Duncan wanted to see me use the whip. I tried, but got tangled up in it and fell into the snack table. The whole thing went flying over like a catapult. Food went everywhere and I ended up with a face full of cheese dip. I'd probably be lying there still, if Tom hadn't help me get free."

Abby laughed along with Connor as he continued to talk. His words faded into a pleasant background sound as Abby concentrated on his face in the flickering firelight. She watched his expressions and the play of shadows across his golden skin. Even with the healing pink scar above his right eye, he was beautiful. More importantly, his soul was beautiful… full of hope, trust and goodness. She couldn't imagine being without him. Abby finally believed that Connor truly loved her. His feelings were real and would only grow stronger with time. She didn't have to be afraid. He would never hurt her and trapped in the past, he could never leave her. She focused on Connor's words and realized he had almost finished his story.

He stood up, gesturing and laughing as he said, "The girl I was hoping to snog lost her contact lens when she got pelted with airborne crackers. She left the party before I could apologize. It was so… mortifying!"

Abby smiled in delight. Even when Connor talked about something that was probably awful for him, he was able to see the funny side and bounce back. He was so full of positive energy. He could make her happy just by being himself. Without conscious thought, she cheerfully spoke the words that were running through her head, "Connor… will you marry me?"

Abby froze at the sound of her own voice. The light-hearted, silly comment she meant to make, sounded completely serious. She cringed at what she had done. All she needed was an open ring box to make the proposal complete. She didn't have a ring and she wasn't supposed to be the one to ask, but she was trapped by the words that hung between them. She remained motionless, waiting for his response.

Connor went still as he stared at her. He wondered if she was joking, but one long look at her pale face assured him she was serious. Several expressions moved quickly across his face as he said, "For crying out loud! I'm supposed to ask that, Abby." He turned around as he ran a hand through his hair and stared at the ground.

Abby tried not to let the hurt show on her face as she watched him. Suddenly he moved.

In two strides he pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her back to hold her fiercely. Joy poured through him as he kissed her, but he tried to keep it in check.

He had been thinking about proposing for days, but now Abby had beaten him to it. He would have to handle the next few minutes very carefully. He didn't want to hurt her, but he didn't want to give her an answer either. Maybe he could just ignore the question. He kept his eyes on their joined hands as he softly said, "It's getting late, and maybe we should…" He gestured toward their sleeping area as his words trailed off into silence.

Abby gave him a concerned look, but nodded her head in agreement.

Connor decided he would pretend to fall asleep very quickly to stop any further conversation, but his curiosity got the best of him. As he led her to their new mattress and settled them onto the blanket he questioned her, "Abby, why did you ask me to marry you?"

"Because I love you?" she answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"No, I mean why now? Is it because you've decided we'll never get home?"

"Would that be so bad? No traffic jams, no pollution, no job or bills…

"No computers, no cell phones, no people, predators all over the place…" he finished negatively.

Abby watched his face and tried to explain. "O.K., I asked because I was watching your face and your energy and thinking how much I love you and it just slipped out," she answered honestly.

He looked into her eyes, cherishing the truth of her words but still caught up in his own thoughts. He gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead and settled her into his arms as he stretched out on their mattress, "Night, Abby."

Abby was seriously worried that she had panicked Connor and she was very aware of the fact that he hadn't answered her impromptu proposal. Placing her head against his chest, she decided that tomorrow she would find a way to apologize for making things weird between them. Feeling troubled, she snuggled into his warmth and closed her eyes, "Night, Connor."

Connor listened to Abby's steady breathing as she fell asleep. He stared into the darkness of the cave as he made plans for the coming day. It had to be perfect…

They both woke up early the next morning but stayed busy, avoiding the need to speak. Both breakfast and a fast rinse-off in the stream were accomplished with uneasy smiles and averted eyes.

When the silence became too strained, Abby found something to say, "What do you want to do today?" There, that was safe enough, she thought.

Connor pounced on her question, glad for an excuse to put his plan into action. With seeming indifference, he said, "Today, I think we should go for a walk."

"You mean a search?" Abby asked.

"No, just a walk," Connor answered vaguely.

Abby decided not to argue and grabbed her pack. She hoped that being outside would help her find the words to make things right between them. "O.K., lets walk," she answered shortly.

Connor took her hand and led her toward the north, roaming the land that would take them back to the meadow they had visited once before. The entire area was a tapestry of fall color; beige and brown in the branches of the trees and shrubs, brilliant gold in the autumn field grass, and orange, yellow and red in the turning leaves. The butterflies were mostly gone, only a few flitted among the masses of late blooming wildflowers that covered the meadow. The warm autumn light shone down on them and seemed to make the colorful leaves glow against the cerulean blue sky.

Abby sucked in her breath at the beauty all around her. Connor quickly picked a few of the wildflowers and held them out to her.

"For you," he said nervously.

Abby accepted the flowers, and watched Connor carefully, not sure what was going on.

As he had done once before, he picked a flower and placed the single fragrant blossom in her hair.

Abby watched, wide-eyed as Connor slowly dropped to one knee. He tenderly removed the flowers from her hands and set them down next to her feet.

He desperately wished he had his gran's ring. It was antique and very beautiful, containing a large, round center sapphire stone flanked by tiny rows of diamonds. The ring would be perfect for Abby, but it was ages away, stored at his mom's house. He took her hands in his and looked up into her beautiful, blue eyes.

Suddenly, his heart began to beat very fast and words deserted him. He wanted this to be special for Abby, but everything he felt for her was too huge to express. Finally, he managed to begin, "Abigail Sarah Maitland, I love you. I know I can be a little ridiculous some times, but I'll do my very best to protect you and I'll adore you for the rest of my life. I know the future is uncertain, especially here…" Connor shifted awkwardly as his knee began to hurt.

Abby watched him shift position and knew he was struggling to find the words he wanted. She couldn't help but tease him a little, "In your own time…" she whispered, feeling her heartbeat trip along giddily in her chest.

"Right. Sorry…" Connor said with a small smile. He forced himself to focus. He locked eyes with her as he asked, "Abby, will you marry me?"

The smile spread across her face and shone in her eyes as she answered, "Yes. I will."

As soon as he heard the word, 'yes', he stood up and swung Abby around in a circle before he kissed her. He hugged her tightly and looked at her with his heart in his eyes. "Now, about the question you asked me last night… yes, Abby, I'll marry you," he said joyfully.

Abby had never felt so happy as she threw herself back into his arms.

He held her close and looked relieved but somewhat uncertain of the proper way to go on, "What now, fiancé?"

She gave him a knowing glance. Without a word, she took his hand and led him back toward their cave.

Connor followed Abby, confusion clear on his face as he asked, "Abby, what are we doing?"

Abby looked up at him with a feisty smile and squeezed his hand.

Connor continued to look puzzled for a minute longer, until understanding struck him. Abby wanted to put their new mattress to good use. He began to walk very quickly, passing Abby and tugging her along behind him. Seconds later, he stopped short and turned to face her. "I still haven't given up on getting home," he informed her stubbornly. "First thing tomorrow, we search again."

"Very first thing?" she asked with a flirty pout.

"O.K., second or third thing," he said seriously.

"Agreed," she nodded. It made Connor happy to look for signs of Helen and Danny, and she would continue to go with him until winter forced them to stop. She had accepted that this was their life, but Connor needed more time.

She laughed in pure joy as she stopped to admire the wild, beautiful landscape around them.

Connor watched her impatiently. Now that Abby had put the idea into his head, he wanted to get back to their cave and celebrate their engagement properly. When she continued to gaze happily at the surrounding land, Connor grabbed her, slung her over his shoulder and quickly walked out of the meadow. "I've wanted to do this for a very long time," he said as he happily patted her rump.

Abby braced herself against his back, prepared to wait until he got tired and put her down. When he showed no signs of letting her go, she said merrily, "Uh, Tarzan? You know, we could get to the cave a whole lot faster if you put me down." She ran her hand along his side, tickling him gently.

Connor stopped immediately and set her carefully on her feet. He looked into her eyes and agreed wholeheartedly, "Brilliant."

As they ran toward their cave, Abby had a feeling their 'honeymoon phase' was about to start all over again.

xxxxxxx

Only two chapters left now. I'll post next Friday and the Friday after (if I can get the last chapter to cooperate). Reviews/comments happily accepted.


	27. Seasons Change

Author's Note: It's been so much fun writing about Connor and Abby's time in the Cretaceous. I hope I have succeeded in keeping people entertained during the long wait for Series 4. Thanks to drumrush for the idea of Abby and Connor giving each other something as a symbol of their engagement. Enjoy!

Seasons Change

The darkness of the cave was barely illuminated by the glowing embers of the fire. There was just enough light for Connor to see Abby moving beside him. He flopped onto his back and groaned in satisfaction. He could feel Abby's soft lips trailing across his bare chest as she settled herself into his arms.

"That felt amazing," he said as he waited for his heart rate to slow.

"Uh huh," Abby agreed.

Connor gave a small laugh, "You know, it's a scientific fact that engaged people have better sex."

"Are you making that up?" she asked.

"Yeah, but it sounds like it should be true."

Abby raised her head to look at him, "I didn't have any complaints even before we got engaged," she said cheerfully.

Connor shifted so that he could prop himself up on his elbow and look at her. "Me either," he admitted. He reached out to touch her face gently. "You're beautiful," he said with a bit of his old shyness.

She smiled and ran her fingers along his bearded jaw. "You're just saying that because you're exceedingly happy right now," she said smugly.

"Nope. I'm saying it because it's true." Connor sat up and grasped the chain around his neck. He lifted it over his head and held his ring out to Abby, "I want you to wear this for me… as an engagement token."

"Connor, I can't. I know how much that ring means to you," she argued.

"Then you know why I want you to wear it," he insisted.

Abby hesitated for a moment. She had never asked Connor for the story behind the ring, but she knew it had belonged to his father. She smiled softly and nodded her head as she knelt beside him.

Connor gently slipped the chain over her hair and watched his ring settle into place between her breasts. Abby leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his neck until the ring was pressed between their bodies. She rubbed her cheek against his and sighed happily.

Connor was mildly surprised that it felt so right to give his ring to Abby. He thought he might feel odd, not wearing it, but it was as if Abby was an extension of himself. She held his ring and he held her. He shifted to lay down with Abby cuddled against him. "It's still at least an hour before dawn. Let's get some more rest," he suggested happily.

Abby felt his breathing deepen into sleep almost immediately. She wrapped her fingers around the ring hanging from her neck and wondered what she could possibly give Connor in return.

When inspiration struck, Abby carefully moved out of Connor's arms. She grabbed her jeans and shirt and made her way to the fire pit. Pulling on her clothes, she took a length of yarn from her pack and bit it into three equal parts. Then she pulled several pieces of hair from her head and began to work. She wove the strands of her hair into the yarn and tied off each end. Abby examined the finished product and decided that the braided piece looked pretty plain when compared to the gold ring around her neck. Before she could change her mind, she carefully tucked it into her pocket and walked to the entrance of the cave to wait for Connor to wake up.

An hour later, Abby sat on the ledge outside the cave and studied the sky. Grey, gloomy-looking clouds cast a pall over the early morning light. She watched, unconcerned as a few snowflakes drifted to the ground. She didn't expect any of it to stick and she could already see the sun breaking through the cloud-cover out on the horizon.

If they were lucky, they would get several more weeks of mild weather before winter came. But, unwilling to take chances, both she and Connor had already begun to stock the cave. Everything they could find to get them through the coming months was stacked neatly against the back wall. The preparations were going well.

Abby let her thoughts drift until she heard the distant calls of the protoceratops herd. The herd had recently come back into the area and Abby wondered if her pet, Trouble was among them. As she listened to their distant calls, she decided it was the perfect day to say a proper goodbye. She would ask Connor to walk with her to the herd in hopes of finding her pet. If Trouble wasn't there, Abby knew she could accept it.

Life went on… she thought calmly. Abby was very content. She was taking control… making a place for herself and Connor in the Cretaceous. She had learned when to run from the dinosaurs and when to fight back. She felt able to handle anything that came her way. She also made sure that Connor could handle anything that came at them by convincing him to work out with her each day. She taught him different ways to defend himself and found it very rewarding to see him master the techniques. She spent her days making the best of her new life and her nights wrapped in Connor's arms.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Connor's approaching voice, "Abby, have you seen my wrist guard?"

"It's next to the fire-pit," she answered with certainty.

"Yep. I see it," he said.

Abby scooted over, making room for him on the ledge. He sat down beside her, still struggling to get his wrist guard on.

"Here, let me," she said as she moved his hand out of the way and tied the guard neatly in place.

"Thanks," he absently answered as he focused on the world around them. "Is that snow falling?"

"Afraid so," she answered easily.

Connor kissed her cheek, and then moved to stand up, but Abby stopped him by swinging her legs across his lap. "Oh, no. I need a real good morning kiss," she complained.

Connor smiled and pulled her into his lap. He leaned her backward and found her mouth with his. Sinking into the kiss, they both forgot everything for a while. Eventually they surfaced for air and Connor asked, "That any better for you?"

Abby smiled at him, "Well, if that's the best you've got, it will just have to do."

Connor grinned at her wickedly before he kissed her again. Taking his time, he shaped his lips to hers and kissed her slowly, with infinite care and attention. When he finally raised his head to look down at her, he was pleased to find that she was just as effected by their kisses as he. Her eyes were closed and her lips were slightly parted as if waiting for his next kiss.

Slowly she opened her eyes, "What were we talking about?" she asked as she tried to gather her wits.

As he held her, Connor gently touched his finger to the ring hanging from her neck. It reminded Abby of the surprise she had created for him.

"Oh, I know," she said in excitement. "Connor I don't have a ring for you, but…" Abby pulled the length of braided yarn from her pocket and showed it to him. "Would you wear this for me?"

Connor stared at the yarn and noticed the shiny strands, "Is that your hair?" he asked in wonder.

Abby felt foolish and worried when he continued to stare at the yarn. "Yeah, it was a silly idea," she said self-consciously. She stopped talking abruptly when Connor looked at her. The expression on his face was one of fierce joy and amazement.

"Of course I'll wear it," he said in stunned excitement. "Put it on me, please."

Abby tied the piece around his neck with shaking fingers as Connor tried to look down and see it.

It followed the curve of his neck, making it impossible for him to see, but he reverently touched it with his fingertips as he said, "Its perfect. Thank you."

Abby hugged him from behind and kissed his ear, feeling deeply touched and thankful at his reaction to her gift.

Connor laughed in delight, before getting back to his plans for the day. "Now that we're all sorted," he said gladly, "I'd like to make another trip to the fruit grove this morning. We can take both your baskets and the backpacks to gather any remaining fruit to dry for winter."

"O.K., but I'd like to walk to where the protoceratops herd is grazing first. Maybe we can spot Trouble," she said hopefully.

"You really think you'll be able to spot her in the herd?" he asked.

"Of course. Remember she has a notch out of her tail from when Lester almost got her as a baby," she reminded him.

Connor stood up and pulled Abby to her feet. She was lovely and strong, but she had a soft spot for anything she considered hers. The baby protoceratops had been hers. Connor understood how important it was for Abby to see her pet again. "Come on, then. Let's go look for Trouble," he said with a smile.

By the time they reached the edge of the herd, the snow clouds had disappeared. The open valley was dotted with a great many creatures all grazing and sunning themselves. Connor took one look and groaned, "Abby there are too many of them. You're never going to find her."

"Don't be so negative," she said. She spent several minutes studying the animals closest to them, and then moved around the edge of the herd to look again. After several changes of position, she thought she saw her pet. "I think that's her!"

Connor squinted in the direction Abby pointed, "Maybe," he said without much conviction.

"Only one way to find out," she mumbled. "TROUBLE…" she called clearly. The closest herd-members looked up at her then slowly began to move away. Abby kept perfectly still as she called again, "Trouble… come on girl!"

Connor felt bad for Abby as the herd continued to drift away from her. Then he noticed one protoceratops coming toward her. With a huge grin, Connor nudged Abby's shoulder and pointed.

Sure enough, Trouble was making her way to Abby. Connor's smile dimmed slightly when he noticed a large male, following protectively behind. "Uh, Abby…" he tried to warn her.

Abby ran forward, her attention focused solely on her pet.

The male protoceratops bugled in alarm causing Abby to freeze. She watched anxiously to see if the male would attack. Trouble turned back to her mate, touching her muzzle to his in complete calm. After assuring her mate she was safe, she turned to faced Abby again. She approached, tossing her head in happiness. Abby wrapped her arms around her pet and hugged her. "Trouble… I'm so glad you're O.K." She patted her pet's hide and scratched her neck, while Trouble made contented snuffling sounds and butted her nose against Abby's chest.

Connor watched Abby carefully, alert for the slightest sign of danger. He stood a few feet to the side so he could monitor the male protoceratop's attitude. Trouble's mate also kept his distance and watched every move Trouble made. The two males, human and protoceratops alike, took a moment to study each other. In silent communication, they shared an understanding of their need to protect. Connor smiled and relaxed his stance a little.

Connor watched as Trouble repeatedly nudged Abby, moving her back to where he waited. With a low cry, Trouble rubbed her nose against his arm, waiting for him to pet her. Taking the hint, Connor tickled the spot between her eyes as he said, "I see you found yourself a nice bloke."

Behind them, the other protoceratops began to move more swiftly toward the far end of the valley.

Trouble's mate gave a soft call, alerting Trouble to the fact that the herd was leaving. Abby noticed it too. As Trouble turned to follow her mate, Abby called after her, "Bye, girl."

"Bye, Trouble," Connor added politely.

Abby felt Connor supportively wrap his arm around her shoulder as she watched the herd retreat into the distance. "Maybe I'll see her again next spring. She could have a calf by then," she said wistfully.

Abby's casual assumption that they would be in the Cretaceous come next year, made Connor stiffen with anger. He automatically started to deny her statement, but caught himself. After a moment he quietly conceded, "Yeah, maybe we will."

Abby continued to stare after the herd and Connor knew exactly what she was thinking. Trying to keep his voice reasonable, he said, "You know, even if Trouble does have a calf, you can't keep it."

Abby smiled at his teasing tone of voice and looked up at him. "Please?" she begged prettily.

"Well, maybe just for a little while," he said with a chuckle.

Abby gave Connor a tender look and hugged him. He was such a wonderful man, and she didn't know how she had overlooked that fact for so long. They were going to have a good life; Abby would make sure of it.

Arm in arm, they walked slowly toward the fruit grove.

xxxxxxxx

How could I resist one last farewell to Trouble? Reviews much appreciated. Check back next Friday for the final chapter of this story!


	28. The Way Home

Author's note: This is it - the last chapter. I was so excited by the Series 4 trailer that I finished this chapter early and couldn't wait to post it! I hope you have enjoyed these "Tales" and that you will be so kind as to leave a review/comment. To those special people who kept me writing (you know who you are), thank you so much!

The Way Home

Déjà vu was all Connor could think as he watched the snapping jaws below him. He and Abby were perched in a pine tree with their loaded backpacks strapped to their shoulders. They were very close to where their Cretaceous adventure had first started. Two raptors jumped up and down at the base of the tree and tried to bite their legs. It was like re-living the first moments of following Helen through the anomaly. The only thing missing was Danny Quinn.

"Raptors must really love this area," Connor said as he watched their crazed behavior.

Abby stared down at the creatures in mild annoyance before she turned to Connor, "I know I agreed to keep looking, but how much longer?"

"Please, Abby. This is important to me," he replied solemnly. "I know you've given up on getting home. In fact, I think you like it here."

"In some ways I do," she admitted. "Life is simpler. Sure, its hard work and it can be dangerous, but it's also beautiful and unspoiled. Plus things are very good between us," she added happily.

"I'll give you that," he agreed, "but I can't give up yet."

"What happens when winter comes?"

"Then I'll concentrate on making a life in the Cretaceous, but we'll have some decisions to make. We can stay in the cave and hope an anomaly opens naturally, or we can pack up when spring comes and travel south," he said carefully.

"Why south?"

Connor looked uncomfortable. "There's something I haven't told you, Abby. The end of the Cretaceous is marked by an extinction event."

Abby's face went pale, "What?"

"A natural disaster, most likely a huge meteor strike that starts a massive die-off. It wipes out most of the dinosaurs," he regretfully told her.

"Sorry I asked," she said as she looked down at the raptors again.

"It may not happen for hundreds of years. I just don't know," he said uncertainly.

"So we'll worry about that when we have to. For right now, let's get out of this tree," she begged.

"I think we should use one of the remaining stun grenades on these guys. Only this time I won't fall."

"Great plan," Abby said while she covered her ears.

Connor pulled the pin and dropped the grenade. He covered his ears tightly, closed his eyes and opened his mouth slightly. The strength of the blast still surprised him but he kept a firm hold on his perch. When he opened his eyes and looked down, he was satisfied to see the raptors unconscious on the ground. "Let's put some distance between us and those raptors before they wake up," he suggested.

They quickly climbed down the tree and ran. As they slowed to a walk, they heard the sounds of yipping and growling approach. Abby spotted the danger first. "It's a group of velociraptors," she said in alarm.

"I count five," Connor said.

As the creatures darted toward them, Connor and Abby stood side-by-side ready to face the attack. The velociraptors came straight at them; not stopping until Connor and Abby forced them back with their spears. As the angry creatures tried to surround them, both Connor and Abby kicked out, knocking two of the monsters onto the ground. As they continued to fight, Connor gasped out, "I have an idea."

"What?" Abby asked as she slammed the shaft of her spear into the nearest creature.

"Run."

Abby wanted to give him an exasperated look, but couldn't take her eyes off the velociraptors.

"Kick them back now," he yelled. They both kicked out again, knocking the two front creatures into the ones behind them. As soon as the whole group tumbled to the ground, Connor grabbed Abby's hand and ran back the way they had just come. The five small raptors jumped up and chased after their meal.

Together, Connor and Abby raced through the trees.

"There are too many of them," she panted.

He gave her a reassuring look and gritted out, "Just keep running."

He led them directly back to the unconscious raptors. The velociraptors, finding a perfectly good meal lying on the ground, forgot all about the chase. As the stunned raptors came to a swift death, Connor and Abby circled around them to continue their search.

They slowed to a jog as the pine trees began to thin out. Abruptly, Abby stopped and dropped to her knees. "Connor, look," she said excitedly as she pulled a scrap of flannel out of a thorny bush.

"Is that a piece of Danny's shirt?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, it is," she said in amazement.

"We're finally on the right track. Come on, let's keep moving."

"I have a really good feeling about this," she said happily.

"Or not," Connor said pointing to a large, abandoned Pteranodon nest.

A creature he didn't recognize was digging around the old, broken egg shells of the nest. It raised it head and snarled when it noticed them. Both Connor and Abby let their backpacks slide to the ground as they prepared to fight. Connor stepped in front of Abby, pointing his spear at the large, angry beast. It stood up on its hind legs in a show of aggression before it dropped back down. When Connor stood his ground, it snarled again and charged. Connor stabbed his spear into the creature's chest causing it to rear back. As the creature tried to shake the spear loose, it struck out with one leg, sending Connor flipping through the air to land hard on his back.

Abby cried out and put herself between the creature and Connor. She thrust her spear at its eyes and yelled fiercely. As the beast swiped a huge paw at her, she jumped back and then jabbed her spear into its neck. The creature backed away moving unsteadily. Connor's wooden spear was still embedded in its body as it turned around. The beast stopped to bite down on the shaft of the spear sticking out of its chest and snapped it in two. Bellowing in pain, it limped into the forest.

Abby rushed to Connor's side. She dropped her spear and knelt down beside him, "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I just landed on a rock," he said as he shifted around to grab the hard object that had bruised his arm. "It's not a rock," he said in surprise.

"It's an anomaly opener," Abby finished for him. "Does it still work?"

"Yes, it still has power! This thing must be solar," he said in amazement. "Its Helen's device."

They stared at each other in shock and then Connor jumped to his feet. They grabbed each other, laughing and hugging and finally kissing before they broke apart to look at the device again.

"Why is it here?" Abby asked, "What do you think happened?"

"Don't know. Maybe Danny caught up to Helen as she was going through the second anomaly and they fought. It's possible that she dropped the opener and they both got trapped on the other side," he speculated.

"Can we get Danny back?" she asked.

Connor fiddled with the device. "No, Helen has locked out Site 333. I can't go there, but I can go other places. Once we get back to the ARC, I can figure out how to get to Danny," he said hopefully. Connor pumped his fist. "We're going home, Abby!"

He studied the device as Abby anxiously watched his every move. "Give me a minute to figure out the programming," he said nervously. He managed to bring up a menu and found what he was looking for. "O.K., I think I've got the origin site, which should be our time and our home. We can go now," he said happily.

Abby stared at him in disbelief. "We can go home?" she asked in shock.

Connor stared back at her, as the smile slipped from his face. "Yeah," he said quietly. He took a moment to memorize the way she looked. His dark, intense eyes watched her as he said, "What we had here… the love between you and me, it was brilliant and I'll never forget it."

Abby frowned at him, "You sound like you're saying goodbye to me."

"No. Just to our time here. Things will be different, though. I won't be the only man on the planet anymore," he said with a sad smile.

"Stop being ridiculous. Everything is going to be fine," she said, but her voice was desperate and there was doubt in her eyes.

Connor could almost hear her emotional walls snapping back into place. He was losing her. He wondered how the most fantastic occurrence, like getting out of the Cretaceous, could also be so painful.

Fear worse than any creature attack, swamped him. He stared at his father's ring hanging around Abby's neck and then reached up to lightly stroke the braided cord containing her hair. He had asked Abby to marry him and she had said yes, but would she still want him on the other side of the anomaly?

Abby wanted to scream as she looked into his sad, uncertain eyes. She could tell he was afraid and she was too, but they had been through too much together to let uncertainty come between them now. She had to find a way to reassure him that they were O.K. Shaking off her fears, she searched for the words to make him understand.

As the silence stretched on, she could tell that Connor was shutting down. He wouldn't even look at her. Terrified that she was losing him, she struggled to think. "Connor, look at me. Are you sorry you asked me to marry you?"

"No Abby, of course not. I love you," he said with absolute sincerity.

"Do you think I'm sorry I said yes?" she questioned.

Connor ducked his head and stared at the ground. "You might want to be free when we get home. I'll understand if you change your mind," he said miserably. He struggled to prepare himself for disappointment. He had known from the beginning that Abby's feelings for him could vanish once they were back among other people and she actually had a choice. He glanced at her quickly and then looked away as if expecting the worst. _Please, please_, he silently prayed, _don't let her hand my ring back to me_.

Abby shook her head in sad frustration. She didn't think words would get through to him. He had decided that she was going to hurt him again. It was ironic, really. She had learned to trust him, but he still hadn't learned to trust her. She knew it was understandable. She had kept her distance and had quickly crushed all his attempts to be more than friends… until the Cretaceous.

Abby knew it would be a long, slow process to show Connor that he was the only man for her, a process that couldn't really begin until they were around other people again. She was going to have her hands full. She would have to show Connor that other men didn't stand a chance with her. She would also have to deal with a world full of girls just waiting for someone as wonderful and sexy as Connor. A burst of jealous anger tore through her at the thought of another girl trying to take Connor from her. _Hell no_, Abby decided, _we aren't going home separated by doubts_.

Out loud, she said gruffly, "We're going home together."

When he pursed his lips and dropped his eyes, Abby realized that nothing she could say would help. In frustration she grabbed his jacket with both hands, fisting the material in her grip. "Oh, come here," she growled as she yanked him to her for a kiss so passionate that she thought she might spontaneously combust.

Connor froze for a second before he melted into her embrace. As he returned her kiss, his arms slid around her waist and back, to hold her locked tightly against him.

Abby poured all her love and desire into the kiss, willing Connor to trust her.

When he raised his mouth from hers, he gave a shaky laugh and said, "Sweetheart, that kiss was so hot, I think we might have melted the circuits in the anomaly opener."

"Don't even joke about that. Now start that thing and get us home," she demanded, feeling absurdly happily that he had called her 'sweetheart'.

Connor fiddled with the device as all the implications of getting home hit him. There would be debriefings at the ARC and the need to find Danny and a million other details, large and small to rebuild their lives… including the retrieval of a certain ring that belonged on Abby's finger.

He punched in the information that would take them home and hit the open button. Instantly, an anomaly appeared before them, its sparkling shards moving in slow revolutions, flipping and spinning through the air.

"That's the most beautiful sight I've ever seen… other than you," Connor said as he glanced at Abby with an awed smile.

Abby forced her eyes away from the anomaly to gaze at him. "Let's go home."

Connor let out a whoop of joy. "Home," he yelled happily.

Abby watched his face. "Connor," she said quietly, "just so you know… no matter where we are - in the past, present or future, I'll always be yours," she promised with a radiant smile.

Everything in his heart and mind settled into clarity. Abby loved him the same way he loved her. In one blinding flash, Connor saw eternity stretching out before them.

They picked up their backpacks and took one last look at the Cretaceous wilderness around them, only to have their moment of peace shattered by a terrifying roar. They both turned at the sound to see a spinosaurus stalking toward them.

As it lowered it's head and charged, Connor shouted urgently, "Time to go!"

He reached for Abby's hand, giving her a determined look as they bolted forward. Together they ran straight into the heart of the anomaly.

The End

Thanks so much to everyone who followed these stories. Please leave a review. It matters and it only takes a second to hit the review button. Check back this Friday for the epilogue.


	29. Epilogue

IMPORTANT: I posted Chapter 28 two days earlier than planned. If you missed it, please go back and read, as it is the last chapter of "Tales".

Epilogue

Twelve years later…

The early morning sun bathed the lovely, private garden in light. The property was surrounded by a stone wall, which was partially hidden by the mass of wildflowers that bloomed along its base. Birds chirped from their nests, set high in the huge shade trees and butterflies floated across the yard on the gentle breeze.

It should have been a peaceful place, but with three children in residence, lively was a better description for it.

Connor sat on a bench overlooking a terraced vegetable garden and observed the scene quietly.

Ten-year-old Alan Nicholas pointed at the open book in his hand while his twin sister, Jennifer Anne, shook her head in disagreement sending her dark brown hair flying around her face. Alan shoved a hand through his own dark hair in frustration. In unison, the twins turned to look at Connor. Alan's dark eyes locked with his father's in a silent plea for support. As the twins started to walk toward him, seven-year-old Sarah Elizabeth bolted across the yard, running straight at him. He stood up to catch her in his arms.

"Daddy, they're arguing again," she reported happily as Connor lifted her up. He smiled at his youngest child. She was a miniature copy of Abby. A fair skinned angel, with her mother's blue eyes and white-blonde hair.

"Oh really? What's the problem this time?" he asked as he switched his attention to the twins.

Jenny's chocolate brown eyes were unwavering as she said, "Alan thinks the parasaurolophus walked on two feet, but I'm sure it walked on four.

Alan jostled her aside. "She's got it wrong. Tell her, Dad."

Connor glanced at the book his son was holding. It was a dog-eared copy of the book he had written eight years ago. "Well actually, you're both right," he said mildly. "This creature could walk on two feet just as easily as on four."

"Oh!" they said at exactly the same time. Argument settled; they wandered across the yard to sit near Rex. The ancient lizard was sunning himself on a warm, flat rock.

Sarah squirmed in Connor's arms as his cell phone rang. Setting his daughter down, he answered the call, "Connor Temple."

Lester's voice was loud and clear, "Professor. I hope I'm not bothering you on your day off, but we've found something interesting that I want you to see. I need you here right now."

Connor frowned and replied, "Whatever it is, it can wait. I'm a consultant now, remember? I don't report to you."

Lester began to rant, "Oh, that's right the University pays for your services these days. It completely slipped my mind. I'll just wait here until you can be bothered to check in, do let me know when you can drop by…"

Connor cut him off good-naturedly, "I'll be at the ARC this afternoon, Lester." He disconnected the call and sat back down on the bench.

As he watched his children wrestle in the grass, he felt so grateful for them. But a familiar emptiness within him sent a wave of melancholy through his system as he thought of the past. He had survived so much sorrow and loss. With a sigh, he pulled his thoughts back to the present.

A shadow fell across his face as he felt a tea mug pressed into his hands. "Lost in thought?" Abby asked as she rested her hip on the arm of the bench and rubbed her hand across Connor's shoulder.

"Oh, just remembering Cutter, Stephen, Ryan and Sarah," he said pensively.

Abby nodded in understanding, "I miss them too." She squeezed his arm and then changed the subject; "I've got to go to the zoo early tomorrow. The department reports are due and I haven't finished approving them."

Connor looked up into her eyes calmly, "That's fine. I don't have a morning class. I can get the kids off to school." Shaking himself out of his mood, he set his tea aside and pulled Abby down into his lap for a long kiss. Passion, sharp and bright, flared between them.

Two melodramatic groans caused Connor and Abby to both smile and laugh into the kiss.

"Not again! You're always kissing," Alan accused in boyish disgust.

"Yeah, its embarrassing," Jenny chimed in.

"I think its nice," Sarah said from somewhere in the tree branches, as she peered down at them.

Helping Abby out of his lap, Connor stood up and smiled at their children. "All right, you lot. Who wants to go for a walk in the forest?"

A chorus of excited shouts answered, "I do! I do!"

Abby helped Sarah out of the tree so she could join Alan and Jenny.

Instantly, all three children ran for the gate and hurried along the path to the protected land beyond their yard, laughing and chasing each other.

Strolling along behind them, Connor pulled Abby closer to place a kiss on the side of her forehead. "You know… it's been a while since the two of us brought a blanket out here and put this forest to good use," he said with a wicked grin.

Abby's lips curved into a sexy smile, "If you play your cards right, we could do that this weekend," she said. "Your mom wants to take the kids."

"Bless her," he said as he slowly lowered his head for another kiss.

They both stopped short as a familiar beeping tone sounded from Connor's jacket. "Anomaly alert," he said tersely.

From deeper in the forest, they heard Alan's amazed voice, "Mom, Dad… come see this thing!"

Sarah called out, "It looks like diamonds in the air."

Close to panic, Connor bit out, "Stay away from it. We're coming."

Fear cut deep as they sprinted through the forest. Abby looked as wild and dangerous as Connor had ever seen her. She would protect their children no matter what.

They could see Alan, Jenny and Sarah staring into the brilliant light of the anomaly as they raced toward them.

"Something is coming through," yelled Alan.

With a burst of speed, Abby and Connor reached their children just as the first creature scrambled out of the light followed quickly by two more.

Jenny cried out in surprised happiness, "Three diictodons!"

The worried parents collapsed onto the ground in relief as the anomaly winked out of existence. Abby rolled to her knees and gathered all three kids into her arms to hug them tightly. The confused diictodons yipped in delight and tried to join the group hug.

When Connor could speak again, he glanced at Abby. It was time to teach and prepare their kids. He took a calming breath and gave all three children a serious look. "Your Mom and I have a story to tell you. It all started in the Forest of Dean…"

Seated together on the soft pine needles of the forest floor, Connor and Abby took turns telling the story of the anomalies; the story of how they met and fell in love.

xxxxxxx

An epilog was requested by duchessfaleen. This was the result.

I would appreciate comments from everyone who liked reading "Tales." I'm pretty content with it, but your reviews bring me joy.

Happy Upcoming Holidays, Everybody!


	30. Explanation

Explanation (for the curious and because I'm obsessive)

First, let me apologize to anyone who read this story long ago and got all excited to see an update.

That being said, I feel the need to explain the 'odd' Author's Notes at the beginning of the Chapters. You see, I started this story back in April of 2010 with the initial idea that each 'Chapter' would be a stand-alone story about Connor and Abby's time in the Cretaceous. I had a few good scenes in my head but I didn't think I had it in me to come up with an entire multi-chapter story. Because I only had a few ideas, I didn't even worry about putting the stand-alone stories in chronological order when I first began. From that beginning, written over the course of eight months, I ended up with what you see now.

Sometime after the first few months, when it became apparent to me that I was starting to write in sequence, I went back in and re-organized the first several Chapters, so that Chapter 1 became 'Day Two' – the earliest situation I had written about, but actually the 5th story penned. What was originally my first story 'The Pool' became Chapter 5. That shifting around of chapters caused the seemingly random and confusing Author's Notes.

Despite the unusual way I first approached this story and the issue with the Author's Notes, I'm still proud of this work and hope you enjoy reading (or re-reading) it.

Tamie


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